US President Donald Trump during a news conference at the Nato Summit in Ankara, Turkey. BloombergInfoUneasy calm has settled as mediators push for return to diplomacyPresident Donald Trump said on Friday that the US had agreed to continue talks with Iran but that the ceasefire was "over", signalling that military operations will continue.In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said Iran had requested further negotiations."The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks'," he wrote. "We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!"Regional mediators, including Qatar and Pakistan, scrambled on Friday to prevent the conflict from escalating further.The US resumed strikes on Iran on Tuesday, igniting fears of a return to full-blown war. A day later, Mr Trump declared the ceasefire "over", and US strikes continued.The strikes were a response to an attack, blamed on Iran, on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at US military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Qatar. As of Friday, an uneasy calm had settled, as mediators pushed for a return to diplomacy.Speaking at the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, Mr Trump has suggested, however, that negotiations with Iran may continue, but expressed little confidence they will succeed."They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time. They're a bunch of lying guys," he said.Negotiations now appear to be deadlocked over the Strait of Hormuz.While the US aims for the war were initially focused on dismantling Iran's nuclear programme, degrading its missile capabilities and bringing about the fall of the regime, negotiations have more recently shifted to securing the reopening of the vital waterway.Updated: July 10, 2026, 4:17 PM