Trump says US and Iran have agreed for talks, but states ceasefire is over | World

The United States (US) have agreed for talks with Iran following a request by the latter after tensions once again escalated in the Middle East following the back-and-forth attacks by the two sides over strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, said President Donald Trump on Friday.

However, the 80-year-old Republican leader stated that the ceasefire with the Islamic Republic stands over.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue “talks”,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

The two sides had signed a peace deal last month in a bid to end the over three-month long conflict, but tensions once again escalated after three vessels were targeted by the Iranians in the Hormuz. In response, the US forces targeted Iranians military assets in the region. 

Iran, however, retaliated to the strikes and launched retaliatory attacks. The tensions only increased after the US and Iran continued to trade strikes against each other.

The Hormuz is critical to stabilise the global supply chains, as nearly one-fifth of world’s oil and natural gas pass through it. However, Iran has maintained that the strait must now be under its sole control and that vessels should begin to pay fees to it.

However, the US military has maintained that it would keep the Hormuz open and safe for transit of merchant vessels. It has also claimed that Iranian forces have no control over the Hormuz, rejecting the claims by Tehran’s media.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on X (previously Twitter) on Thursday. “Since early May, U.S. forces have helped facilitate the successful transit of more than 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil through the vital international trade corridor.”

“U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief,” it said after targeting multiple Iranian military sites, including its air defence systems, coastal surveillance assets, and missile and drone storage sites.

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