After this weekends escalation of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the US and Iran have agreed to stop fighting and meet in Qatar to discuss the Strait of Hormuz.
Here’s more from Axios:
The U.S. and Iran agreed to stop attacking each other, according to a senior U.S. official, as the two sides plan to meet Tuesday in Qatar’s capital to work out their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
“We decided to stop all the kinetic activity,” a senior U.S. official tells Axios, using the military’s term for strikes and other attacks.
Under the MOU, Iran committed to make its best efforts to allow safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait. In return, the U.S. lifted its blockade of Iranian ports.
During negotiations in Switzerland last week, the U.S. delegation — headed by Vice President Vance — agreed with Iran to establish a “hotline” between the U.S. military and the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), Iran’s military command, to coordinate traffic in the strait.
As of Saturday, the “hotline” still wasn’t operational even as Iran started claiming, again, that ships need to coordinate passage.
The Tuesday talks were originally set to happen in Switzerland to address Iran’s nuclear program, a source with knowledge of the talks said. The escalation moved them to a different venue and refocused them on the Strait of Hormuz.
Nick Stewart, who heads the U.S. technical team, is expected to participate in the talks, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
More talking with terrorists. Ugh.