President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States and Iran had agreed to continue talks despite a recent escalation of hostilities, but he flatly declared that the ceasefire reached between the two sides last month was no longer in effect. Trump's comments came on a day of relative calm at the end of a week of renewed conflict, when three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers came under fire, prompting the U.S. to hit Iranian sites, and Iran to respond with strikes on US military sites in Gulf states. No fresh attacks were reported on Friday as regional mediators sought to salvage diplomatic efforts to permanently end a war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Trump Declares Ceasefire Over
"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 wrote in a post on Truth Social. Iran did not immediately respond to Trump's post, but its top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said in a post on his Telegram account the war would never end with Tehran's surrender. The Islamic Republic was ready for "all-out defence" if the US betrayed a memorandum of understanding secured last month, he added. That interim deal was meant to pave the way to the end of a conflict now in its fifth month that has killed thousands, throttled worldwide energy supplies and raised fears of a global economic downturn.
Qatari Mediation Efforts
Qatari negotiators were meeting officials in Iran on Friday to de-escalate tensions and discuss navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will travel to Oman on Saturday at the head of a delegation for talks on bilateral relations and regional developments, particularly the situation in the strait, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported. Daily tanker traffic through the waterway appeared to have slowed on Friday, after attacks this week raised concerns about global oil supplies and shipping. The Qatari talks aim to address implementation of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and disputes over navigation in the strait, the source said. Past talks have been announced with few signs of concrete progress.
UN and International Reactions
"We see reports that the discussions are ongoing, and we hope that they are," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in New York. Oil prices eased on Friday but remained on track for weekly gains of 5% after the hostilities. U.S. Treasuries edged lower on concerns the trend of rising energy prices could add to inflationary pressures. The Strait of Hormuz handled about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war. Tehran has since largely taken control of the waterway, forcing a stalemate in its confrontation with the world's most powerful military. Under the interim deal, the US ended its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran agreed to ensure safe passage of commercial vessels. This week Washington accused Iranian forces of attacking three tankers in the area, and struck military sites in Iran in response. Iran then attacked US military sites in Gulf states on Thursday.
Shipping and Sanctions
The UN shipping agency's governing council condemned efforts by Iran to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran's "unilateral decision" to create a body to control traffic through it. Prior to this week's attacks, daily tanker traffic had risen to its highest since the war began, averaging 40 ships transiting the strait. That was still far off the pre-conflict average of 125 to 140 daily sailings. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when they launched the war that their aims were to end Iran's nuclear activities, alongside other objectives. Tammy Bruce, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, raised the issue on Friday, telling a Security Council meeting: "The door to diplomacy remains open, and is our preferred path to resolve concerns related to Iran's nuclear program." Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, has retained its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, and its ability to threaten neighbours with missiles and drones. Also on Friday, the US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Ali Ansari, an Iranian banker and businessman based in Dubai who had previously been sanctioned by Britain for his role in financially supporting the activities of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, among other individuals and entities.
