The US and Iran are still talking. That alone is notable, given that the two countries recently exchanged military strikes near the Strait of Hormuz and the ceasefire they painstakingly built over months is showing serious cracks.
Technical delegations from both sides are meeting in Qatar and Switzerland as of July 2026, working through the details of a 14-point memorandum of understanding signed around June 17. The MoU covers navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear development limits, and sanctions.
What happened to the ceasefire
The original ceasefire was established on April 7-8, 2026, and for a brief window, it held. Then came the extension into a broader framework via the June MoU, which was supposed to graduate the arrangement from “please stop shooting” to something resembling a durable peace architecture.
Exchanges of fire between US and Iranian forces near Bahrain and Kuwait triggered mutual accusations of ceasefire violations.
