Trump ends Iran ceasefire, agrees to continue talks at Tehran's request

Trump's announcement

Donald Trump declared on Friday 10 July that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran has ended, while simultaneously revealing that Washington had agreed to Iran's request to continue talks. The announcement came in a short post on his Truth Social platform.

The Islamic Republic of Iran asked us to continue 'talks'. We agreed to do so, but the United States clearly stated to them that the ceasefire is OVER. Thank you for your attention.

The president did not elaborate on whether the end of the ceasefire means the US will launch further strikes against Iran. After two days of retaliatory attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, no additional American strikes were recorded on Thursday.

The military backdrop

The US strikes earlier in the week were retaliation for Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and on American forces in the Middle East. The two-day American response was followed by a pause in hostilities on Thursday, the same day Qatari mediators began their journey to Iran.

Diplomatic track

According to Axios, Qatari mediators departed for Iran on Thursday to hold talks on de-escalating the conflict, coordinating their efforts with American negotiators. A diplomat cited in US media assessed the trajectory of the negotiations.

It is clear that both sides want to return to the MOU.

The MOU refers to the initial ceasefire agreement between the two countries. Trump has expressed scepticism about reaching a new deal with Iran, stating in recent days that he does not know whether he wants to conclude another agreement. He has argued that Iran does not honour its commitments.

Trump's posture at NATO summit

Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara earlier in the week, Trump signalled his preference for continued military pressure. He framed the approach in characteristically blunt terms.

Let's just finish the job.

The remark came on Tuesday, before the Qatari mediation effort was publicly known. It underscores the tension between the diplomatic channel now underway and Trump's publicly stated inclination toward a military conclusion.

Intelligence on potential Iranian threat

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has shared intelligence with the United States suggesting the existence of a new Iranian plan to assassinate President Trump. The information reportedly concerns a plot that had not previously been tracked by American services and is now under analysis by the US side. Iran has for years threatened retaliation for the 2020 American strike that killed General Kassem Sulejmani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, during Trump's first term.