Mediators try to salvage diplomacy after US-Iran strikes

Mediators Seek to Resume Diplomacy After US-Iran Ceasefire Breaks Down

Mediators continued efforts to restore diplomatic channels between the United States and Iran following an exchange of strikes that ended a temporary ceasefire. Qatari officials arrived in Tehran, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Oman for separate discussions.

The ceasefire had been intended to support negotiations toward a lasting settlement in the conflict that began in late February with US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Direct talks between the two governments had not occurred since the previous month.

Iranian state media reported that a Qatari delegation reached Tehran on Friday. The visit came after US President Donald Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that talks would proceed even though he had earlier described them as unproductive. In the post, Trump wrote that Iran had requested continued discussions, that the United States had agreed, and that Washington had informed Tehran the ceasefire was over. In a subsequent post, he warned that any attempt to assassinate him would result in Iran being “completely decimate[d].”

Araghchi arrived in Oman on Saturday. Oman had previously hosted indirect US-Iran talks before the outbreak of hostilities. The foreign minister focused on arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz. He stated that Iran had fulfilled its commitments under the June memorandum of understanding, which included a provision that the United States would not impose new sanctions or deploy additional forces in the region while talks continued. Araghchi cited the US Treasury Department’s revocation of a temporary sanctions waiver for Iranian oil exports as a violation of that paragraph. The waiver, issued in June, had permitted Iran to produce, sell, and deliver crude oil and related products until August 21.

US and Iranian delegations held one round of direct talks in Switzerland after the memorandum was signed, along with indirect contacts in Qatar. No further progress on a comprehensive agreement has been reported. A central unresolved issue remains control and transit rules for the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed to commercial traffic during the conflict. The waterway carries a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Iran has stated it intends to regulate passage and collect fees, rejecting a return to unrestricted navigation that existed before the war. US officials maintain that the strait constitutes an international waterway and that any fees would be unacceptable.

News organizations Axios and Politico reported that Washington set a deadline of Saturday for Iran to cease firing on vessels in the strait and to confirm that the waterway remains open. The most recent exchange of strikes began after Iran targeted three ships it said had left an approved route. US forces responded with strikes on approximately 90 sites inside Iran, according to the US military. Iran’s health ministry reported 17 deaths and 115 injuries from those strikes. Iran subsequently conducted attacks on facilities in Gulf states that host US military bases.

Qatar, which sustained damage during the conflict, has continued to facilitate contacts. Iran’s Tasnim news agency stated that the Qatari delegation was in Tehran to strengthen mediation efforts after Tuesday’s incidents. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by telephone with Qatar’s emir and separately with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, urging preservation of the existing truce. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said ending the war remained a priority for many countries but added that the conflict would not conclude with Iranian capitulation and that the population was prepared to defend itself.

The memorandum of understanding signed in June remains the operative framework for any renewed talks. Both sides have cited compliance with its terms as a precondition for further negotiations.