Washington: US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington had agreed to continue talks with Iran, even as he declared that the ceasefire between the two countries was over after a sharp escalation in military strikes.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The statement suggested that diplomatic contacts would continue despite the collapse of the ceasefire framework negotiated last month.
The Washington Post reported that the announcement followed several days of escalating strikes that shattered the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran. The newspaper said the preliminary agreement had been designed to end the fighting and begin negotiations on a broader peace accord within 60 days.
The New York Times reported that US forces struck more than 170 Iranian military targets on Tuesday and Wednesday. It described the operation as one of the most intense rounds of American attacks since the war began more than four months ago.
The targets included air defence systems, drone and missile storage sites and military speedboats along Iran’s southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Times. The newspaper also reported that US forces appeared to strike a railway bridge in northeastern Iran, more than 700 miles from the strait.
Iran responded by firing at US military bases in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, the Times reported. Jordan said it had also intercepted Iranian attacks.
The latest exchanges followed attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway has become a central point of tension in the conflict because of its importance to global oil and shipping routes.
CNN reported that Qatari negotiators had travelled to Iran to meet officials and try to create conditions for US-Iran talks to resume. The trip was planned in coordination with Washington, according to a diplomat cited by CNN.
CNN also reported a lull in fighting Friday after the latest strikes threatened to derail the agreement. A US official told the network that American forces were deliberately striking and then pausing to avoid a wider escalation and allow diplomacy to continue.
The Washington Post said the United States and Iran remained divided over the meaning of the preliminary agreement, particularly its provisions concerning the Strait of Hormuz. The newspaper quoted analysts as saying the region was caught between war and peace, with both sides applying military pressure during negotiations.
The Hill also reported Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire was over while talks would continue. It cited the president’s Truth Social statement and said his announcement came during renewed exchanges between the two countries.
The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last month intended to halt hostilities and open negotiations toward a more durable settlement. The agreement began to unravel after renewed attacks around the Strait of Hormuz.
(IANS)
