The United States and Iran have agreed to halt attacks against each other and are set to hold talks in Qatar on Tuesday aimed at resolving tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior U.S. official cited by Axios.
The reported agreement comes less than two weeks after a ceasefire between the two countries took effect, but renewed strikes and escalating rhetoric have already placed the truce under strain.
"We decided to stop all the kinetic activity," the U.S. official told Axios, using the military term for strikes and other attacks.
According to the report, the latest escalation stemmed from differing interpretations of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that ended the conflict, particularly regarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important shipping lanes.
Under the agreement, Iran committed to making its best efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait, while Washington agreed to lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
Axios reported that during negotiations held in Switzerland last week, the U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, agreed with Tehran to establish a direct communication "hotline" between the U.S. military and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to coordinate maritime traffic through the strait.
However, the hotline had reportedly not become operational by Saturday, even as Iranian authorities renewed calls for ships to coordinate their transit through the waterway.
The discussions scheduled for Tuesday were initially planned to focus on Iran's nuclear program in Switzerland, but recent tensions shifted both the venue and the agenda to Qatar, with the Strait of Hormuz now taking center stage, according to sources cited by Axios.
Nick Stewart, who leads the U.S. technical team, is expected to participate in the talks, the report added.
The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
