The United States and Iran have agreed to suspend ongoing military strikes and move toward high-level negotiations in Qatar on Tuesday, in what officials describe as an urgent attempt to stabilize the situation around the Strait of Hormuz after days of escalating confrontation.
The agreement was reported by US media outlets, citing senior American officials, and follows a weekend of tit-for-tat attacks that put an interim understanding signed on 17 June under severe strain. That earlier memorandum was intended to de-escalate tensions linked to the wider conflict that erupted in late February and has repeatedly disrupted maritime traffic through one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors.
Under the terms of the June 17 framework, Iran agreed to guarantee safe passage for commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States committed to lifting its blockade on Iranian ports. The arrangement was designed as a temporary stabilization mechanism, but has been repeatedly tested by renewed military incidents in recent days.
A senior US official told Axios that both sides had now agreed to halt direct military activity. “We decided to stop all the kinetic activity,” the official said, using military terminology for strikes. Another US official confirmed that the pause is temporary, adding that “vessels can move freely” while diplomatic engagement continues.
