US president Donald Trump said the United States has agreed to continue talks with Iran after the Islamic Republic requested them, but asserted that Washington has made it clear the ceasefire is 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 said in a post on Truth Social. His remarks came after three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers came under fire earlier this week, triggering a fresh round of military escalation between Washington and Tehran.US Central Command said its forces struck around 90 Iranian military targets on Wednesday. Iranian state media reported that the attacks killed 14 people and injured 78 others.Iran responded on Thursday by targeting US military assets across the Gulf region. Its army said it struck US Patriot missile systems in Kuwait, an early-warning site in Qatar and a US Army fuel depot in Bahrain. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later said it fired 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Azraq military base, which is used by US forces.Qatari negotiators met Iranian officials on Friday in an effort to help de-escalate tensions following the recent exchange of fire between Iran and the United States, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The talks also focused on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.According to the source, the discussions centred on implementing the US-Iran memorandum of understanding and addressing the issues that led to the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran, including disputes over navigation in the strategic waterway.Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency also reported that a Qatari delegation visited the country in what analysts said appeared to be an effort by Doha to reinforce its role as a regional mediator. The visit comes after Qatar accused Iran over an alleged incident in the Strait of Hormuz.Daily tanker traffic through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz appeared to slow on Friday after the recent attacks heightened concerns over global oil supplies and shipping, highlighting the fragility of the interim truce.Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz carried around one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies. Since then, Tehran has largely taken control of the strategic waterway, resulting in a standoff with the world’s most powerful military.Under the interim agreement, the United States lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran committed to ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait.Iran says reports of next week’s US talks have ‘no factual basis’Iran has denied reports that a new round of talks with the United States is scheduled for next week, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Fars news agency.Citing a source close to Iran’s negotiating team, Fars reported that media claims about finalised preparations for talks in Islamabad and the continuation of technical discussions next week were “false” and had “no factual basis.”
