US says Iran talks to continue, 'both sides' pausing strikes

WASHINGTON — The United States and Iran have agreed to stop attacking each other and plan to meet and resume talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, a U.S. official said late Sunday.

U.S. and Iranian forces traded strikes in recent days despite a fragile June 17 memorandum of understanding (MOU) that seeks a comprehensive end of the conflict that began in late February and disrupted shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz.

Under that agreement, Tehran committed to allow safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait while Washington agreed to lift its blockade of Iranian ports. "Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU," a U.S. official told AFP in an email. "Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely." The official did not provide details on what day or where the talks would take place, but two U.S. officials and a third source with knowledge of the matter told American media outlet Axios that discussions would resume Tuesday in Qatar.

CNN reported similar comments citing a Trump administration official, saying the two sides will