The Washington-Tehran agreement is entering a decisive testing phase amid military escalation, with Washington keeping the strikes option "open" while negotiations continue. US President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire is over, as controversy intensifies over the interpretation of Article 5 of the joint memorandum of understanding — a dispute that has triggered a major crisis threatening to collapse the agreement, even as mediators seek to prevent the breakdown of the US-Iran understanding.
Amid the oscillation between military escalation and negotiations, Washington has raised the stakes of confrontation, and Article 5 has become a loophole threatening to derail efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, having ignited a deep dispute between the two sides over its interpretation and the mechanisms for managing one of the world's most vital waterways.
The article allows Iran to assume responsibility for the arrangements necessary for vessel transit and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but does not grant it control over the strait, nor does it prevent the Sultanate of Oman from designating transit routes.
Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: "The Islamic Republic of Iran asked us to continue (talks), and we agreed to that, but the United States informed them, in no uncertain terms, that the ceasefire is over!"
Trump addressed Israeli reports of an assassination plot against him and said he had left instructions to bomb Iran at unprecedented levels if it succeeded in assassinating him, though he downplayed the Israeli reports, saying: "There is no new Iranian plan to assassinate me — Tehran has wanted to kill me for years."
He added: "I have been the number one target on Iran's assassination list for a long time, and Israel has provided no new information."
The British newspaper The Independent reported that the White House witnessed a radical shift in President Trump's position on Iran within 24 decisive hours, moving from adherence to the ceasefire agreement to declaring it over — a development that reflects the collapse of trust between the two sides and the return of the spectre of military confrontation.
In contrast, CNN, citing two Israeli sources, said the Trump administration does not want Israel to engage in a new round of fighting with Iran, for fear of losing control of the course of the war and to leave room for diplomacy.
The television network quoted one of the sources as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wishes to join the US strikes, but that Washington currently opposes involving Israel in combat operations.
Amid these developments, a US official told CNN yesterday that "the United States is conducting behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the conflict with Iran, while Washington keeps military options ready should the situation require it."
At the same time, however, a US official confirmed that talks between the United States and Iran on a permanent peace agreement are continuing, despite the military escalation on Wednesday and Thursday.
He told CNN that the United States and Iran are continuing technical talks to complete the implementation of the memorandum of understanding reached in mid-June. A US official also told Bloomberg, speaking yesterday on condition of anonymity, that the United States remains committed to finding a solution with Iran.
He noted that "Washington still maintains a list of potential targets as a pressure card."
For its part, the US outlet Axios reported that "the US military's decision not to launch any new strikes on Iran came as a result of efforts aimed at de-escalation."
Axios quoted a US official and sources from mediating countries as saying that "Qatar, Pakistan, and other regional mediators are working to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran and to revive negotiations related to the nuclear deal."
It noted that mediators believe the recent Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz were orchestrated by elements within the Iranian regime who oppose the memorandum of understanding and seek to undermine it, adding that Qatari officials arrived in Tehran yesterday and held multiple contacts in an attempt to contain the escalation.
Axios added that diplomatic efforts are currently focused on first reaching a de-escalation agreement between the two parties, before setting a date for a new round of negotiations between technical teams.
It noted that the mediating countries view the previous rounds of negotiations as having achieved progress toward a nuclear deal and are seeking to prevent the collapse of the memorandum of understanding.
A US official confirmed to Reuters that "the United States remains committed to reaching a solution," noting that technical talks with Tehran are ongoing.
A US official told CNN yesterday that "the United States is conducting behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the conflict with Iran, while Washington keeps military options ready should the situation require it."
The official said: "The United States is deliberately carrying out intermittent strikes and then pausing to avoid escalation and to allow room for the diplomatic track." He added that the commander of the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, currently in the Arabian Sea, has instructed his crew to maintain the highest state of readiness, noting that the situation is "fluid" and that strikes could resume if necessary.
Analysts assert that despite Trump's declaration that the ceasefire has "ended," he remains focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and still wishes to avoid a return to full-scale war with Iran.