US and Iran agree to suspend attacks in the Gulf and hold Doha talks on Tuesday
After two days of reciprocal strikes, Washington and Tehran have frozen all military operations in the Strait of Hormuz and will send delegations to Qatar on 30 June.
Escalation in the Gulf
On Saturday 27 June, Iranian forces attacked the oil tanker Kiku as it tried to cross the Strait of Hormuz, according to Italian media reports. The US Central Command retaliated by bombing military sites in southern Iran. Hours later, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missiles and drones against American bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. One residential building near the Bahraini capital Manama was struck, prompting authorities there to call for international intervention.
A last-minute halt
On Sunday, the two sides agreed to immediately freeze "all kinetic activity," the US officer told Axios. Another official confirmed that hostilities would be suspended "for the moment" and that vessels would be free to navigate the strategic waterway. The accord interrupted a cycle of violence that threatened to unravel a 17 June ceasefire that had been brokered earlier in the month.
Diplomacy shifts to Qatar
Talks that were initially due to take place in Switzerland to address Iran’s nuclear programme have been urgently repurposed to focus on security and freedom of navigation in the Strait. The US and Iranian delegations will now meet on Tuesday, 30 June, in Doha. The Axios report added that technical discussions will run in parallel with the political dialogue.
- Iranian forces attack oil tanker Kiku in the Strait of Hormuz
- US Central Command conducts airstrikes on military sites in southern Iran
- IRGC launches missiles and drones at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, hitting a residential area near Manama
- US and Iran agree to suspend all kinetic operations
- US and Iranian delegations meet in Doha for security and navigation talks
Wider pressure points
The flare-up comes amid broader regional turbulence. In Lebanon, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key ally of Hezbollah, openly rejected a US-brokered framework deal with Israel.
Berri called it an "agreement of impositions" that fails to safeguard Beirut’s rights. The plan links a full Israeli withdrawal to Hezbollah’s disarmament. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier signalled readiness to again close the Strait of Hormuz, while US President Donald Trump had warned of further escalation.This agreement will not pass and will not be implemented in its current form.
