DOHA June 29, 2026 — The United States and Iran have agreed to immediately halt all strikes against each other and will hold talks this week in Doha, Qatar, to address their dispute over the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Sunday.
“We decided to stop all the kinetic activity,” the official said, using military terminology for strikes and other attacks.
The agreement follows several days of tit-for-tat exchanges that had raised fears of renewed escalation and threatened to unravel a fragile interim ceasefire framework signed earlier in June 2026.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Roughly 20–25% of the world’s maritime oil trade — about 20 million barrels per day on average — passes through it. Any disruption there has immediate global economic consequences for energy prices and shipping.
This development builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June 2026 that established a 60-day ceasefire window for further negotiations on issues including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, and maritime security. Recent strikes had put that framework at risk.
Multiple international outlets, including Bloomberg, Gulf News, Nikkei Asia, and Anadolu Agency, reported the Axios story, describing it as a significant de-escalation step.
The Tuesday meeting in Qatar is expected to focus on practical measures to prevent future incidents, such as communication hotlines and shipping protocols. Global markets will be watching closely for any impact on oil prices and regional stability.
Further updates are expected as officials prepare for the talks.
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