Trump Opens Door Wide for Iran After Ceasefire Collapses
The ceasefire between the United States (US) and Iran, which was only agreed upon last June, has officially ended. Nevertheless, US President Donald Trump said on Friday (10/7) that Iran has asked to continue talks with the US. The US is also said to have approved the proposal. Trump’s announcement was made after three commercial tankers owned by Qatar and Saudi Arabia were fired upon this week. The incident triggered US retaliatory strikes against several locations in Iran. On Thursday (9/7), Iran launched further attacks against US military installations in Middle Eastern countries. There were no reports of attacks on Friday (10/7). “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed, but the US has made it clear to them without any doubt that the ceasefire is OVER!” he wrote in a post on Truth Social. The two countries reached a temporary agreement last month to end a four-month conflict that has killed thousands and disrupted global energy supplies. Qatari negotiators met with officials in Iran on Friday (10/7) to try to ease tensions following the exchange of fire, and to discuss shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters. Daily tanker traffic in the vital waterway appeared to slow on Friday (10/7), after a series of attacks sparked concerns about the recovery of global oil supplies and shipping activity, while highlighting the fragility of the temporary ceasefire. According to the source, the Qatari talks in Iran aimed to discuss the implementation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran, as well as various issues that triggered the recent escalation, including disputes over navigation in the strait. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that a Qatari delegation visited Iran as part of Doha’s efforts to strengthen its role as a mediator. Oil prices fell slightly on Friday (10/7), but still recorded a weekly gain of 5% following the tensions.