Qatar on Thursday pressed both Tehran and Washington to return to diplomacy after a renewed sequence of strikes threatened a tenuous ceasefire between the two countries.
In a telephone conversation, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the United States and Iran should follow through on the memorandum of referendum both sides signed in June. Qatar - along with Pakistan - has been involved as a mediator in recent negotiations aimed at stabilizing the conflict.
The Qatari prime minister also condemned an attack earlier this week on a Qatari tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the Qatari foreign ministry said.
The call came after the U.S. military reported another round of strikes on Iran early Thursday, following comments by President Donald Trump that raised questions about whether the ceasefire remained intact. Both Tehran and Washington have accused the other of breaching the framework deal.
U.S. Central Command said its operations struck about 90 military targets inside Iran, targeting air defense systems, coastal surveillance equipment and sites used to store unmanned aerial vehicles. CENTCOM described the strikes as intended to further reduce Iran's capacity to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, framing the action as retaliation for Iranian attacks on three oil tankers in the waterway.
Iran's military answered with separate strikes it said were directed at U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - a paramilitary force in Iran - warned of additional attacks on American military sites in the Gulf if Washington were to carry out more strikes.
Pessimism around the ceasefire
Speaking at a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Türkiye on Wednesday, President Trump told reporters that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was effectively "over" and that he did not want to deal with Iran further. He also suggested the United States might reimpose a blockade of Iranian ports, a tactic Washington had used after Tehran had disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM had announced in June that enforcement of any blockade had ended as part of the deal with Iran.
"We make a deal, and everyone’s agreed. No nuclear weapons. We make a deal. They go outside, talk to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over," Trump said.
Even so, he left open the possibility that talks could continue if both parties were willing to engage. Later, on a flight back to the United States, the president said Iran had reached out and expressed eagerness to "make a deal so badly." Iran has not confirmed that outreach.
Taken together with earlier attacks this week, the recent military exchanges have cast serious doubt on the interim ceasefire agreement signed in June. Negotiations toward a permanent settlement - already complicated by disputes over Iran's nuclear program and by fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon - have grown further entangled by disagreements over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has demanded it retain certain controls over transit through the strait, insisting that vessels navigate routes approved by Tehran. The United States has rejected those conditions and attributed recent strikes on ships in the strait to Iran.
Reports indicate talks were put on hold during the multi-day funeral ceremonies for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a barrage at the start of the war in late February. Iran's lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has said the strait will only operate "under Iranian arrangements, not American threats."
Market and shipping implications
Oil prices eased on Thursday but remained higher than levels seen prior to the recent spike in tit-for-tat strikes. Those elevated prices reflect sustained concerns about potential inflationary pressure stemming from disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for global energy supplies.
The ongoing military friction and the uncertainty around the future of the ceasefire have implications for sectors closely tied to international trade and energy flows. Shipping, oil markets and industries sensitive to commodity-driven input costs are directly impacted by instability in the strait and by the risk of further strikes.
Summary
Qatar urged Iran and the United States to honor their June memorandum and pursue diplomacy after exchanges of strikes threatened a fragile ceasefire. The U.S. said it struck roughly 90 targets in Iran to degrade capabilities it says endanger commercial shipping, while Iran retaliated with strikes on sites it described as U.S. military bases in the Gulf. Tensions have clouded the future of the interim deal and placed upward pressure on oil prices above pre-strike levels.
Key points
- Qatar called on Tehran and Washington to implement their June memorandum and resume diplomacy, and condemned an attack on a Qatari tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
- U.S. Central Command said it struck about 90 military targets in Iran, aiming to reduce Tehran's capacity to threaten commercial shipping; Iran responded with strikes on what it said were U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
- Oil prices moderated but stayed above pre-conflict levels, underscoring persistent market concerns about disruptions to shipping and potential inflationary effects.
Risks and uncertainties
- Collapse of the interim ceasefire - further military exchanges between the U.S. and Iran could expand conflict risk, affecting regional stability and economic sectors tied to energy and shipping.
- Disruption to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz - attacks on tankers and threats to shipping routes create direct risks for global oil supply chains and for industries reliant on petroleum inputs.
- Potential for escalation targeting U.S. facilities - Iran's warnings of additional strikes on American military sites in the Gulf raise uncertainty for defense posture and for markets sensitive to geopolitical shocks.