DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
The comments were a further blow to hopes of a swift resolution to the crisis, following attacks on shipping in the region on Tuesday that pushed oil prices higher.
The deal agreed in June declared an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts”, but quickly unravelled, with US President Donald Trump saying it was “over” on July 7 and Iran’s foreign ministry declaring it “suspended” a week later.
The US accuses Iran of failing to honour an agreement under the deal to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route. Tehran says Washington has reneged on its commitments, including lifting a blockade of Iranian ports and releasing frozen Iranian assets.
“One of the issues that is being discussed via mediators is the US returning to the interim agreement and defining a timeframe for implementing the commitments.
There has been absolutely no progress on this issue,” the Iranian source said.
There was no immediate comment from Washington.
Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.
