Washington and Tehran agreed to stop mutual attacks and continue negotiations

The United States and Iran agreed to stop mutual attacks and continue negotiations under the previously signed memorandum of understanding. Axios reports this, citing sources.

According to the publication's interlocutors, the parties plan to meet on June 30 in the Qatari capital Doha to resolve the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz. According to the American official, for now the parties will stop attacks, and ships will be able to move freely through the strait.

Initially, the negotiations were supposed to take place in Switzerland, where it was planned to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. However, due to the escalation of the conflict, they decided to move the meeting to another place and devote it to the Strait of Hormuz.

As Axios notes, the renewed fighting was sparked by conflicting interpretations of the memorandum, especially its terms regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Iran insists that ships passing through the strait coordinate their passage with Tehran.

The sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire last week. A new round of escalation was triggered by the attack on June 25 on the cargo ship Ever Lovely, sailing under the flag of Singapore in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran explained its actions by saying that the ship was using an unauthorized transit route. After this, the United States and Iran exchanged blows twice.

After the start of attacks by the United States and Israel on February 28, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States responded by announcing a naval blockade of Iran. According to the terms of the memorandum signed in mid-June, the Strait of Hormuz must be open for at least 60 days while negotiations on a final peace agreement take place. There are no agreements yet on what will happen next. The strait is of strategic importance because most of the oil produced in the Persian Gulf countries enters the world market through it.