US and Iran Exchange Strikes Before Resuming Doha Talks

The United States and Iran agreed to halt kinetic hostilities and resume indirect technical negotiations in Doha, Qatar, following a volatile weekend of reciprocal military strikes. The escalation began on June 25 when Iranian forces attacked a container ship, the Ever Lovely, in the Strait of Hormuz. This was followed by a drone strike on the tanker M/T Kiku on June 27, prompting U.S. Central Command to strike 10 Iranian military targets, including surveillance and air defense facilities. Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles and drones targeting the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

These clashes threatened a 60-day interim ceasefire established by the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding on June 17, which aimed to end a war that began in February 2026. Central to the dispute is the management of the Strait of Hormuz; Iran claims exclusive authority and intends to impose transit fees in August, while the U.S. and Oman advocate for open international navigation. To bypass Iranian control, the U.S. and International Maritime Organization established alternative shipping routes, which Tehran condemned as unacceptable.

Diplomacy resumed on June 30 as U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Doha. While Donald Trump claimed Iran requested a high-level meeting, Iranian officials denied direct talks, insisting on indirect technical sessions mediated by Qatar and Pakistan. Key agenda items include the release of $6 billion in frozen assets and a ceasefire in Lebanon. Despite the truce, Vice President JD Vance warned that the U.S. remains prepared to use force if diplomacy fails to secure a permanent denuclearization agreement.