After the US-Iran Conflict, Can Peace Talks Get Back on Track?

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1524 EAT on Friday 10 July 2026

A United States official has told Al Jazeera that Washington remains committed to diplomacy with Iran despite two days of military exchanges this week, insisting that technical negotiations aimed at securing a lasting peace agreement will continue.

The US and Iran exchanged strikes from Tuesday night through Thursday in the most significant escalation since the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 17, launching a 60-day negotiating process intended to ease tensions and pave the way for a broader agreement.

Despite the latest hostilities, the US official said the diplomatic track remains open, with both sides expected to continue technical-level talks in pursuit of a durable peace deal.

The United States launched strikes on 85 targets across Iran on Tuesday night and early Wednesday, saying the attacks were in response to incidents in which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly targeted commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz for failing to follow routes approved by Tehran.

Iran responded on Wednesday with strikes targeting US military assets and infrastructure in several Gulf states, prompting Washington to carry out a second wave of attacks on Wednesday night and Thursday. The US said it struck 90 Iranian targets, including sites in the country’s southern coastal and eastern provinces.

Tehran accused Washington of hitting civilian infrastructure during the latest strikes, a claim the US has not confirmed. The renewed exchanges have further undermined the three-week-old ceasefire agreement between the two countries, raising fresh concerns over the prospects for lasting peace.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, that he believed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran was effectively “over”, fuelling concerns that the ceasefire had collapsed.

Although Trump said he would allow peace negotiations to continue for the time being, he dismissed the talks as “a waste of time” and launched a scathing attack on Iran’s leadership, describing its leaders as “scum”.

However, Trump appeared to soften his tone a day later. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, he said a return to full-scale war was not Washington’s objective, although he stressed that military action remained an option.

“They want to make a deal,” Trump said of Iran, signalling that diplomacy remained possible despite the recent escalation in hostilities.

Early on Friday, Iranian state media reported multiple explosions across southern Iran, including in the cities of Bushehr, Konarak, Choghadak and Bandar Abbas. Bushehr is home to one of Iran’s nuclear power plants, raising fresh concerns over the security of the country’s critical infrastructure.

The United States denied any involvement in the reported explosions. By later Friday morning, the exchange of fire appeared to have subsided as mediating countries stepped up diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations. A US official told Al Jazeera that Washington remains committed to pursuing talks with Tehran.

Although neither side has formally withdrawn from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) or declared the negotiations dead, both Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the agreement.

What talks have taken place so far?
The United States and Iran signed the MoU on June 17, agreeing to observe a 60-day ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon, to create space for negotiations on a broader and more durable peace agreement.

Under the deal, Iran agreed to guarantee the safe passage of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States committed to easing sanctions on Iranian oil exports and lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The two sides had planned to begin formal negotiations in Switzerland on issues including the future security of the Strait of Hormuz, the release of Iran’s frozen overseas assets, long-term sanctions relief and Tehran’s nuclear programme.

However, those talks were delayed as Israel continued its military campaign in southern Lebanon, where it maintains control over parts of the territory.

Some direct negotiations were subsequently held in Switzerland before the diplomatic process shifted to indirect technical talks in Doha, Qatar.

Those discussions were later suspended during the week-long funeral ceremonies for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28.

Before the latest escalation, President Donald Trump had also pledged that the United States would refrain from launching new attacks during the funeral period.

Negotiations had been expected to resume after Iran concluded the state funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with talks tentatively scheduled for around July 11.

However, the latest US strikes on Iran — the third round of American attacks since the peace process began and launched during the funeral period — have cast fresh uncertainty over whether and when the diplomatic process will continue.

Early on Friday, Iranian state media reported that Khamenei had been buried in his birthplace of Mashhad at the Shrine of Imam Reza, Iran’s holiest Shia religious site, which is recognised for its golden dome and gilded minarets. The burial marked the end of the official state funeral ceremonies, removing one of the key factors that had delayed the resumption of talks.

Despite the conclusion of the mourning period, the renewed military escalation has left the future of negotiations between Washington and Tehran uncertain, with neither side announcing a new date for the next round of discussions.

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