--- title: "US and Iran Agree to Stand Down, Set New Hormuz Talks in Qatar" description: "The United States and Iran agreed to halt their latest exchange of strikes and to allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials said, with technical talks set to resume in Qatar — a fragile pause after days of fighting that strained an interim deal struck this month." category: "World" category_url: https://herald.la/category/world author: "Gabriela Soto" published: 2026-06-29T00:38:30.000Z updated: 2026-06-29T00:38:30.000Z canonical: https://herald.la/article/us-and-iran-agree-to-stand-down-set-new-hormuz-talks-in-qatar tags: ["Iran", "United States", "Strait of Hormuz", "Middle East", "diplomacy", "ceasefire"] --- # US and Iran Agree to Stand Down, Set New Hormuz Talks in Qatar The United States and Iran agreed to halt their latest exchange of strikes and to allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials said, with technical talks set to resume in Qatar — a fragile pause after days of fighting that strained an interim deal struck this month. The United States and Iran agreed on Sunday to "stand down for now" and to let ships pass freely through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior U.S. official said, easing — at least temporarily — a confrontation that had flared back into open fighting over recent days. ## A pause, and a return to the table Both sides agreed to halt military operations, and technical talks are set to resume Tuesday in Qatar, after a senior U.S. official described the agreement to [The Hill](https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5944869-us-iran-stand-down-talks/). The session, the official said, would continue work on a 14-point memorandum of understanding the two governments reached on June 17, under which the strait would be reopened to traffic. The arrangement is fragile and explicitly provisional. Officials framed it as a cessation of hostilities "for now," not a settlement, and the underlying disputes — above all over how the Strait of Hormuz is managed — remain unresolved. ## How it unraveled The June 17 deal had been intended to wind down the conflict, pairing a ceasefire with commitments on shipping and follow-on negotiations. But it came under severe strain within days. The U.S. military carried out strikes on Iranian military sites on June 27 — describing the targets as surveillance, air-defense and drone infrastructure — in retaliation for an alleged Iranian attack on a vessel near the strait, [PBS NewsHour reported](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iran-and-u-s-reach-an-initial-deal-to-extend-the-ceasefire-and-open-the-strait-of-hormuz-but-challenges-remain). Iran responded with missiles and drones aimed at U.S. facilities in the Gulf, including in Kuwait and Bahrain, in exchanges the Herald and other outlets have tracked over the past several days. The renewed violence rattled energy markets and reignited fears of a wider war before the two governments stepped back, [Rappler reported](https://www.rappler.com/world/middle-east/iran-us-agree-halt-attacks-renew-talks-june-28-2026/), citing a senior U.S. official who first confirmed the halt. ## The Hormuz problem At the center of the standoff is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world's seaborne oil passes. Iran has pressed for a greater say over how vessels transit waters it considers its own, while Washington argues that goes beyond what the June 17 understanding required — a commitment by Iran to use its "best efforts" to ensure safe passage, rather than to control traffic. Until that gap is bridged, shipping through one of the most important chokepoints in global trade remains well below normal. ## What to watch Whether the stand-down holds through Tuesday is uncertain. Both governments have reserved the right to respond to any new provocation, and the Hormuz dispute that triggered the latest fighting is precisely what negotiators must now try to resolve. For the markets, the mariners caught in the Gulf, and a region on edge, the test is simple: whether two adversaries that spent the week trading fire can spend the coming days trading terms. ## Sources - [US, Iran agree to 'stand down for now,' resume peace talks: Official](https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5944869-us-iran-stand-down-talks/) - [Iran and U.S. reach an initial deal to extend the ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz but challenges remain](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iran-and-u-s-reach-an-initial-deal-to-extend-the-ceasefire-and-open-the-strait-of-hormuz-but-challenges-remain) - [Iran, US agree to halt attacks, renew talks](https://www.rappler.com/world/middle-east/iran-us-agree-halt-attacks-renew-talks-june-28-2026/)