Iran and the United States remain divided over efforts to reach a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, with an Iranian source saying there has been no progress in talks to revive an interim agreement reached in June.
The June deal called for an immediate and permanent end to military operations and set a 60-day period for Iran and the US to reach a final agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of US sanctions. However, the deal later broke down, with US President Donald Trump saying it was over on July 7 and Iran’s foreign ministry declaring it suspended a week later.
The two sides blame each other for failing to meet their commitments. The US says Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran says Washington failed to lift a blockade of Iranian ports and release frozen Iranian assets.
The dispute comes after new attacks on shipping on Tuesday, adding to concerns over regional security and global energy supplies. Four crew members were killed in a Houthi attack on a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while the US military said it disabled a Panama-flagged cargo ship that allegedly violated a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The conflict began after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, and has since killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. The continuing crisis remains of major public and global relevance because of its impact on regional security, international shipping and oil supplies.
