Iran and the United States have made no progress in efforts to revive a temporary ceasefire agreement or establish a timeline for its implementation, according to a senior Iranian official who spoke to Reuters.
One of the issues reportedly being discussed through intermediaries is the possibility of the United States returning to the temporary agreement and setting a timetable for fulfilling its commitments.
“There has been absolutely no progress on this issue,” the Iranian official said.
The agreement reached in June called for an “immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts.” However, it collapsed within weeks. U.S. President Donald Trump declared on July 7 that the agreement was “over,” while Iran’s Foreign Ministry described it as “suspended” a week later.
Under the June agreement, the parties had established a 60-day period, which could be extended by mutual consent. During that period, they were expected to negotiate a final agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
The Iranian official rejected a report published Wednesday by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency claiming that Iran and the United States had agreed to extend the 60-day period.
“There is no discussion of an extension because, from Iran’s perspective, no period has begun, and therefore there is nothing to extend,” he said.
According to the official, the United States violated the temporary agreement 48 hours after it was reached and withdrew from it several days later.
Washington did not immediately comment on the Iranian official’s remarks.
Dispute over the Strait of Hormuz
Iran and the United States have accused each other of violating their commitments under the agreement.
Washington accuses Tehran of failing to meet its obligation to reopen the maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, meanwhile, claims that the United States violated its commitments, including lifting the blockade of Iranian ports and releasing the country’s frozen assets.
Rhetoric between the two sides has intensified over the past two days.
Senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the United States accepted Iran’s conditions for ending the war.
His comments came after Trump demanded Monday that Iran pay compensation for people killed during five decades of wars, attacks and protests.
At the same time, Trump has alternated between threats of escalation and statements suggesting that a peace agreement could be close.
Speaking to reporters after a visit to Ohio on Tuesday, Trump said: “Iran is doing well, absolutely well.”
Ship attacks raise concerns over oil supplies
Tensions have escalated further following attacks on vessels in the region, raising concerns over global oil supplies.
In the southern Red Sea, four crew members were killed in an attack carried out by the Iran-backed Houthis against a small cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. According to Reuters, it was the group’s first deadly attack on shipping since the beginning of the war.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military said a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter used two Hellfire missiles to damage the steering mechanism of a Panama-flagged cargo ship.
According to U.S. Central Command, the vessel had ignored repeated warnings to stop after violating a maritime blockade of Iranian ports. Maritime sources told Reuters that the vessel was struck off the coast of Pakistan while sailing in the Gulf of Oman.
The Strait of Hormuz, the waterway between Iran and Oman and the main gateway to the Persian Gulf, carried roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows before the war.
Brent crude prices have risen since the beginning of the war in February, reaching a peak of $126 per barrel. On Wednesday, Brent futures rose 35 cents, or 0.4%, to $89.26 per barrel, marking the sixth consecutive day of gains.
