A US official said on Sunday that Washington and Tehran agreed to halt attacks after new tit-for-tat strikes strained their interim deal, with the sides planning to renew talks aimed at ending the Middle East war.
The exchanges have underscored the fragility of a Pakistan-brokered agreement to end the conflict that has killed thousands and snarled the flow of oil shipments through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Although a ceasefire took effect in April, sporadic violence has flared up in the Gulf region, with traffic in the strait serving as a regular flashpoint.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU,” a US official told Agence France-Presse in an email late Sunday, referring to the memorandum of understanding struck between Washington and Tehran.
“Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely” in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the official added.
Iran has not immediately commented on the US statement, and the US official did not confirm a US media report that talks would resume Tuesday in Qatar.