The U.S. and Iran plan a meeting in Qatar after agreeing to a pause in attacks, according to Axios

The United States and Iran have reportedly agreed to meet this week in Qatar after reaching an agreement to halt the bombings recorded in recent days, according to the US media outlet 'Axios' reported this Sunday. The pact also contemplates keeping open navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while talks between both parties continue.

The announcement comes just two days after Washington and Tehran mutually blamed each other for breaching the ceasefire signed on June 17, an episode that again raised tensions between the two countries. Days before the information about the meeting became known, the US president had hardened his discourse by assuring that, if the escalation continued, the Islamic Republic "would cease to exist."

The new crisis worsened after the offensive launched by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) against several Iranian military targets. Washington presented the operation as a response to the drone attack against the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker M/T Kiku, as it was crossing the Strait of Hormuz. For its part, Iran maintained that the US action constituted a breach of the memorandum of understanding signed between both countries and defended its response against US interests as an act of "legitimate defense."