Washington and Tehran agree to stop the attacks and head to Doha tomorrow to contain the “Hormuz crisis”

In an urgent diplomatic effort to contain the escalation, the United States and Iran reached an agreement to stop mutual military attacks, according to what a senior American official revealed to Axios. This proactive development comes in preparation for expected discussions between the two parties tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Qatari capital, Doha, with the aim of resolving the explosive disputes over the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

This move comes to save a ceasefire agreement that is only 11 days old, and which is already standing on fragile ground following renewed strikes from both sides. Tensions have worsened recently with US President Donald Trump issuing explicit threats to resume the war and “accomplish the mission.”

The spark of the recent clashes erupted as a result of a profound discrepancy in the interpretation of the provisions of the “Memorandum of Understanding” aimed at ending the war, specifically the part related to security arrangements in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

A decision to stop “kinetic activities”

In an exclusive statement to Axios, a high-ranking American official confirmed that a decisive decision had been made to calm the situation, saying: “We decided to stop all kinetic activities,” using the military term that refers to combat operations and direct strikes.

This official, in addition to another American official and a third source familiar with the course of events, confirmed plans to hold a crucial meeting on Tuesday.

“Hotline” tripped

The current disagreements center around the mechanisms for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding, and the most prominent field challenges emerge in the following points:

• The Strait versus Ports Equation: Under the memorandum, Tehran committed to doing its utmost to ensure the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for Washington lifting its blockade of Iranian ports.
• Switzerland’s understandings: During last week’s negotiations in Switzerland, the American delegation – headed by Vice President J.D. Vance – agreed with the Iranian side to establish a “hot line of communication” between the American army and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, with the aim of coordinating maritime traffic and avoiding friction.
• Coordination vacuum: As of Saturday, the “hotline” had not entered into actual operation, while Tehran took advantage of this vacuum to re-impose its demands for the necessity of prior coordination for the crossing of ships.

Change the compass to Doha

In a clear indication of the seriousness of developments on the ground, informed sources revealed that Tuesday’s talks were pre-planned to be held in Switzerland with the aim of completing discussions on the Iranian nuclear program. However, the pace of escalation forced the two parties to move the meeting place to Doha, and radically change the agenda to focus entirely on containing the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Nick Stewart, who heads the American technical team, is expected to participate in this pivotal tour, according to confirmations from informed American sources.