US says Iran talks to continue, 'both sides' pausing strikes
A billboard depicting Iran's late and current supreme leaders Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei is displayed as Shia Muslim devotees gather for a mourning procession in Beirut southern suburbs on June 26, 2026.(AFP)
A U.S. official said on June 28 that Washington and Tehran agreed to halt attacks after new tit-for-tat strikes strained their interim deal, with the sides planning to renew talks aimed at ending the Middle East war.
The exchanges have underscored the fragility of a Pakistan-brokered agreement to end the conflict that has killed thousands and snarled the flow of oil shipments through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Although a ceasefire took effect in April, sporadic violence has flared up in the Gulf region, with traffic in the strait serving as a regular flashpoint.
