Iran has asked to continue talks and the US agreed: Trump

Washington
US President Donald Trump on ​Friday said the United States had agreed to ‌talks with Iran after Tehran asked to continue negotiations, while stressing that the June ceasefire between ​the two nations was over.
“The Islamic ​Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do ​so, but the United States has stated ​to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump wrote in a ​post on Truth Social.
The US and Iran ​traded strikes this week, with the Iranian armed forces ‌launching attacks on US military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday following US strikes on Iran’s southern coastal and eastern provinces.
The ​two nations ​reached an interim deal last month to end a four month conflict ​that has throttle worldwide energy supplies.
Trump’s ​inability to end the war has frustrated the president, whose Republican Party faces midterm elections later ​this year amid high ​gas prices and voter discontent.
Qatar urges US-Iran to honour deal, protect Strait of Hormuz
Qatar has called on the United States and Iran to honour their memorandum of understanding and continue dialogue to prevent further escalation, according to Al Jazeera.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said in a post on X that he made the appeal during a phone call with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty.
He also emphasised the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that maintaining safe passage is vital for regional security.
IRGC commander vows revenge for ‘cowardly assassination’ of supreme leader
The IRGC’s top commander has pledged vengeance against the US and Israel for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it won’t “be erased from the historical memory”.
According to Al Jazeera, Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi called for the “full realisation of justice and a fitting response to the criminals, especially the child-killing American army”.
“The criminal leaders of America and all enemies of the Islamic Revolution and the Resistance Front must know that by the cowardly assassination of this divine leader they will never … bring the flag of resistance to the ground,” Vahidi said in a statement carried by Sepah news agency.
“Avenging the martyrs and the punishment of the perpetrators … will remain a definitive, legitimate, and an unforgettable demand.”
Vahidi’s comments come after Khamenei was buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday, four months after he and four family members died in US-Israeli air strikes.
Additionally, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council stated in a post carried by Fars that retaliation “will be carried out against attacks on infrastructure, and the criminal Zionist regime will not be safe from the response of the fighters either.”
US pauses strikes on Iran to let diplomacy work: CNN report
Diplomacy is happening behind the scenes right now to ease tensions in the US-Iran conflict, CNN reported Friday, citing US officials.
The US has been deliberately striking and then pausing to avoid escalation and let diplomacy work, one US official said. It is maintaining a target list as leverage.
Multiple officials reportedly said there were preparations for potential US strikes if needed tonight, but they are currently letting diplomacy take the lead.
Earlier today, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, flight crews armed fighter aircraft while pilots conducted training exercises to prepare for any potential strike missions.
The carrier’s captain informed the thousands of sailors on board that regional tensions were increasing and emphasised the importance of remaining prepared, as is standard practice.
Alongside strike preparations, fighter pilots continued routine defensive operations, launching sorties throughout both the day and the night.
US officials said Iranian claims that there had already been more US strikes tonight were inaccurate. However, the situation is dynamic, and strikes could resume if needed, they added.
Maritime threat level in Strait of Hormuz remains ‘severe’: UK maritime agency
The maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz remains “severe” following recent attacks on commercial vessels, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Friday.
In a notice issued by its Joint Maritime Information Center, UKMTO said the southern route through the strategic waterway had been expanded and remains available to all maritime traffic.
“Notwithstanding recent unprovoked attacks on merchant vessels, mariners are reminded that the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz has been expanded and remains available for all traffic,” it said. The center warned vessels transiting the area to expect radio contact over very high frequency channels from naval forces and to remain alert for a designated mine-danger area.