Trump agrees to talk again with Iran but keeps the ceasefire broken and the threat of new attacks

In just 48 hours, Donald Trump has gone from declaring the ceasefire over, calling Iranian leaders “scum” and “sick people” and ordering new bombings to accepting that the United States will negotiate with Tehran again. The US president announced this Friday that the Islamic Republic has asked to resume talks and that Washington has agreed.

The decision comes with a warning that keeps all military pressure on the table. Trump assures that he has communicated to Iran “without a doubt” that the truce has ended. The United States thus agrees to reopen the diplomatic channel while reserving the possibility of continuing attacks if it considers Tehran’s movements insufficient.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue talks. We have agreed to do so, but the United States has made it clear to them that the ceasefire is over,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

The shift returns both countries to a negotiation that Trump had publicly ruled out during the NATO summit held this week in Ankara. There he declared the memorandum signed in June dead, assured that he no longer wanted to talk to the Iranians, and boasted that the United States could win a new offensive “very quickly.”

Two days of attacks reignite the Gulf

The talks resume after a new wave of violence around the Strait of Hormuz. Washington accuses Iran of attacking three commercial vessels from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In response, the US Army has launched several rounds of bombings against Iranian military installations.

The US Central Command claims to have hit some 90 targets, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance facilities, missile and drone depots, naval capabilities, and logistical infrastructure located on the Iranian coast. The attacks leave at least 14 dead and nearly 80 wounded in Iranian territory, according to reports released in recent hours.

Tehran has responded with missiles and drones against US interests in several countries in the region. Alerts have been activated in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan, while air defenses attempted to intercept the projectiles. The Revolutionary Guard claims to have hit dozens of military installations, although that balance has not been independently verified.

The exchange of attacks breaks the precarious understanding reached on June 17, when Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum to reduce violence, reopen the maritime passage, and begin discussing the Iranian nuclear program. That agreement sought to consolidate the truce reached in April after several weeks of war, but it never completely stopped the military incidents.

Trump keeps negotiation under threat

This Friday's announcement leaves an unusual situation. The United States is talking to Iran again, but refuses to recognize a truce that protects those conversations. Trump maintains that Tehran has violated the agreements and insists that the US Army retains a sufficient advantage to impose its conditions by force.

During his visit to Ankara, the president had already warned that he could order a tougher offensive. On his return trip, he even stated that the United States had "won militarily" and that Iran had "very little left". The White House thus mixes diplomatic opening with a pressure campaign based on attacks, sanctions, and public threats.

The strategy also responds to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's main energy routes. Approximately one-fifth of the oil and natural gas traded on the planet circulates through its waters. Each incident with a vessel or military installation raises the risk for maritime transport and puts pressure on energy prices again.

Iran demands to control the passage of ships as long as the conflict continues and claims that transit be coordinated with its forces. The United States and the Arab countries of the Gulf argue that the route must remain open to international trade. This disagreement has become one of the main obstacles to closing a stable pact.

Qatar tries to bring the parties back to the table

Qatar's mediation has kept contact open in recent hours. A delegation from the country is in Iran this Friday to meet with authorities and prepare the conditions for a broader negotiation. The visit has been coordinated with the United States, according to sources familiar with the conversations.

Doha works with Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to reduce tension and save the commitments that still remain. The Qatari Foreign Minister has insisted that the parties must return to the diplomatic framework and avoid an escalation that would affect the entire region.

The immediate task is to stop the attacks and restore maritime security in Hormuz. After that, the more difficult issues would remain, from the Iranian nuclear program to US sanctions, Washington's military presence in the Gulf, and the guarantees demanded by regional allies.

Trump maintains that it was Iran who requested to return to talks. Tehran, for its part, accuses the United States of having emptied the memorandum with its bombings. Neither government has yet explained when the first meeting will take place or which interlocutors will participate in it.

Israel warns of an alleged plan to assassinate Trump

The reopening of dialogue coincides with other information that adds pressure to the US president. Israel has transferred intelligence data to Washington that, according to Israeli authorities, points to a new Iranian plan to assassinate Trump.

The information has been revealed by 'The Wall Street Journal', which cites people familiar with the warning. For now, no evidence, operational details, or names of possible perpetrators have been released. The White House and the Iranian mission to the United Nations have also not publicly confirmed the content of the report.

Trump already referred to threats against his life during the Ankara summit. “They want to finish off the leader of the United States, that is, me,” he told reporters. The president links that risk to the death of General Qasem Soleimani, killed in January 2020 during a drone operation that he himself ordered in his first term.

Iran has been promising retaliation for that operation for years. In 2024, US justice accused a Pakistani citizen of trying to recruit people to participate in an assassination plot, an accusation from which Tehran distanced itself.

The new warning comes from Israel at a time of differences with Washington over the course of the war. Benjamin Netanyahu advocates maintaining military pressure and expanding objectives, while Trump seeks a way out that avoids a new economic and energy shock. Both leaders have spoken this week and maintain coordination between their governments.

The first test for the new talks will come in the Gulf. Qatar will continue to meet with the parties, but the ceasefire officially remains broken, armies keep their operations ready, and transit through Hormuz remains conditioned by the threat of another attack.