Iran says no headway in reviving June truce with US
Iran reports zero progress in talks to revive the June interim deal with the US, as both sides trade accusations and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
A senior Iranian source has said there has been no progress in efforts to revive the interim peace agreement with the United States, dealing another blow to hopes for a swift end to the Gulf conflict. The source indicated that discussions, conducted through mediators, have focused on Washington returning to the June deal and setting a timeline for its commitments, but no headway has been made.
The June agreement, which called for an immediate and permanent end to military operations, quickly fell apart. Washington declared it over in early July, and Tehran followed by calling it suspended a week later. Each side blames the other for the collapse: the US says Iran failed to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, while Iran accuses Washington of not lifting port blockades or releasing frozen assets.
A report suggesting the 60-day implementation period had been extended was dismissed by the Iranian source. The source argued there was nothing to extend, as the US had violated the agreement within 48 hours and withdrawn days later.
Rhetoric has intensified in recent days. Iran's top security official said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless US conditions are met, while President Trump has demanded compensation for decades of conflict. He also claimed Iran is no longer the bully of the Middle East.
Markets remain on edge. The Strait of Hormuz, which handled a fifth of global oil and LNG flows before the war, is still shut. Brent crude has surged roughly 75% above pre-war levels, and prices rose again on Wednesday after separate attacks on shipping. In the Red Sea, four crew members were killed in the first deadly Houthi strike on a vessel since the war began. Separately, the US military said it disabled a Panama-flagged cargo ship that ignored warnings to stop violating the naval blockade on Iranian ports.