Hopes of return to diplomacy as US-Iran hold fire for third day

Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan enactment to restart ceasefire talks amid fragile intermission successful hostilities.

Mediators person expressed anticipation of advancement successful pulling the United States and Iran backmost to the dialog array arsenic the 2 sides maintained a intermission successful hostilities for a 3rd day.

Middle East officials speaking connected information of anonymity to sermon closed-door talks told The Associated Press connected Monday that mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan are continuing to enactment to span the spread betwixt Washington and Tehran.

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The claims appeared to beryllium supported by comments from Washington, and by the continued intermission successful US strikes pursuing the abrupt escalation of hostilities a fortnight oregon truthful ago.

However, Iran has downplayed speech of negotiations, and its drone attacks connected Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq underscored the fragility of the situation, suggesting that Tehran, oregon astatine slightest the Iran-backed equipped groups astir the region, is seeking to trial the caller US approach.

US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had requested a gathering “through their surrogates and directly, and we’re meeting”.

“We’re talking with Iran close now,” helium told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We are having bully talks.”

However, arsenic helium has truthful often, the US person besides issued threats should Iran neglect to marque an agreement.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson insisted that Tehran has not asked to resume ⁠⁠peace talks, noting that “mediators whitethorn convey messages to america from the American side”, but that determination are nary nonstop negotiations.

The US paused attacks connected Saturday aft targeting Iranian coastal areas and infrastructure successful a astir two-week escalation sparked by Iran’s firing astatine ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, a important waterway for planetary lipid shipments.

Iran responded to the strikes with rocket and drone attacks connected countries crossed the portion hosting US troops, sidesplitting astatine slightest 3 work members astatine a basal successful Jordan and 1 successful Iraq.

The US has “a batch of ammunition, antithetic types”, Trump added connected the taxable of missile-interceptor stocks pursuing reports that 1 of the reasons for the intermission was owed to shortages. He said Patriot interceptors are being built arsenic the US increases its stockpile.

Reporting from Doha, Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid said mediators proceed to speech messages betwixt the 2 sides and “are anxious to get some backmost to the array and backmost to the historical memorandum of understanding”.

The MoU signed successful mid-June brought warring to a halt earlier the escalation earlier this month.

Since then, determination person been antithetic interpretations of the accord, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging arsenic a large sticking point.

Tehran wants vessels to walk done a designated shipping lane that transits person to its shores, and has been shooting astatine ships passing done a confederate lane person to the Omani coast.

Muscat has projected a mechanics that would spot countries wage a voluntary toll to walk done the constrictive waterway, which is simply a cardinal transition for planetary energy. But Iran insists that the toll beryllium mandatory.

“The strait besides remains contentious betwixt Iran and Oman, though respective sources accidental immoderate advancement has been made connected this contented over the weekend. But they inactive stay poles isolated connected what the last mentation of things is going to look like,” Bin Javaid said.

“The Iranians accidental the concern successful the strategical waterway can’t instrumentality to what it was earlier the warfare and are insisting determination volition beryllium a toll. However, they’re unfastened to ideas astir whether it’s going to beryllium introduction fees, exit fees, oregon if it is going to beryllium successful lieu of immoderate services that some Iran and the Omanis provide,” helium added.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said connected Monday that it has redirected 17 commercialized vessels transiting the strait, arsenic good arsenic disabling 2 others and boarding a further 2 to guarantee compliance with its blockade connected Iran.

Following the illness of the memorandum of understanding, Washington besides revoked a waiver allowing the merchantability of Iranian lipid and imposed a naval blockade connected Iranian ports.