Iran has asked to continue talks and the US agreed, Trump says

-- Qatar urges US-Iran to honour deal, protect Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on ​Friday said the United States had agreed to ‌talks with Iran after Tehran asked to continue negotiations, while stressing that the June ceasefire between ​the two nations was over.

"The Islamic ​Republic of Iran has asked us ⁠to continue 'talks.' We have agreed to do ​so, but the United States has stated ​to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!" Trump wrote in a ​post on Truth Social.

The US and Iran ​traded strikes this week, with the Iranian armed forces ‌launching ⁠attacks on US military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday following US strikes on Iran's southern coastal and eastern provinces.

The ​two nations ​reached an ⁠interim deal last month to end a four month conflict ​that has throttle worldwide energy supplies.

Trump's ​inability ⁠to end the war has frustrated the president, whose Republican Party faces midterm elections ⁠later ​this year amid high ​gas prices and voter discontent.

Qatar urges US-Iran to honour deal, protect Strait of Hormuz

Qatar has called on the United States and Iran to honour their memorandum of understanding and continue dialogue to prevent further escalation, according to Al Jazeera.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said in a post on X that he made the appeal during a phone call with Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty.

He also emphasised the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that maintaining safe passage is vital for regional security.

IRGC commander vows revenge for 'cowardly assassination' of supreme leader

The IRGC’s top commander has pledged vengeance against the US and Israel for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it won’t “be erased from the historical memory”.

According to Al Jazeera, Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi called for the “full realisation of justice and a fitting response to the criminals, especially the child-killing American army”.

“The criminal leaders of America and all enemies of the Islamic Revolution and the Resistance Front must know that by the cowardly assassination of this divine leader they will never … bring the flag of resistance to the ground,” Vahidi said in a statement carried by Sepah news agency.

“Avenging the martyrs and the punishment of the perpetrators … will remain a definitive, legitimate, and an unforgettable demand.”

Vahidi’s comments come after Khamenei was buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday, four months after he and four family members died in US-Israeli air strikes.

Additionally, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council stated in a post carried by Fars that retaliation "will be carried out against attacks on infrastructure, and the criminal Zionist regime will not be safe from the response of the fighters either."

US pauses strikes on Iran to let diplomacy work: CNN report

Diplomacy is happening behind the scenes right now to ease tensions in the US-Iran conflict, CNN reported Friday, citing US officials.

The US has been deliberately striking and then pausing to avoid escalation and let diplomacy work, one US official said. It is maintaining a target list as leverage.

Multiple officials reportedly said there were preparations for potential US strikes if needed tonight, but they are currently letting diplomacy take the lead.

Earlier today, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, flight crews armed fighter aircraft while pilots conducted training exercises to prepare for any potential strike missions.

The carrier’s captain informed the thousands of sailors on board that regional tensions were increasing and emphasised the importance of remaining prepared, as is standard practice.

Alongside strike preparations, fighter pilots continued routine defensive operations, launching sorties throughout both the day and the night.

US officials said Iranian claims that there had already been more US strikes tonight were inaccurate. However, the situation is dynamic, and strikes could resume if needed, they added.

Maritime threat level in Strait of Hormuz remains ‘severe’: UK maritime agency

The maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz remains “severe” following recent attacks on commercial vessels, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Friday.

In a notice issued by its Joint Maritime Information Center, UKMTO said the southern route through the strategic waterway had been expanded and remains available to all maritime traffic.

“Notwithstanding recent unprovoked attacks on merchant vessels, mariners are reminded that the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz has been expanded and remains available for all traffic,” it said.

The center warned vessels transiting the area to expect radio contact over very high frequency channels from naval forces and to remain alert for a designated mine-danger area.

Egypt, Qatar urge efforts to contain regional tensions, prevent wider conflict

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Qatar on Friday stressed the need to contain escalating regional tensions and prevent the conflict from widening, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said.

According to a ministry statement, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed the latest regional developments during a phone call as part of ongoing coordination between the two countries.

The ministers underscored the importance of containing tensions and preventing further escalation across the region.

They urged all parties to prioritise diplomacy and dialogue and return to negotiations to implement the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran as a step toward reaching a final agreement that will help reduce tensions and strengthen regional security and stability.

Abdelatty also renewed Egypt's condemnation of recent attacks targeting several Gulf states and Jordan, stressing the need to respect the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of those countries and all Gulf states.

Global oil production recovers as Hormuz shipments resume, IEA says

Global oil supply posted its largest monthly increase in months in June as the recovery of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz lifted Gulf production, although output remained well below pre-war levels because of lingering security disruptions, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday.

The agency also raised its oil supply and demand outlooks, citing improving market conditions following the US-Iran framework agreement, while warning that geopolitical risks in the Gulf continue to cloud the market outlook.

According to the IEA's latest Oil Market Report, global oil production nevertheless remained around 9.4 million bpd below levels recorded before the US-Israel-Iran war, despite the sharp recovery in June.

The report said oil supply from Gulf producers rose by around 3.5 million bpd during the month after output partially recovered following the framework agreement between the US and Iran. However, intermittent disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz persisted because of security concerns and continued reliance on US naval escorts, leaving regional oil production about 11.4 million bpd below pre-war levels.

Production from the OPEC+ group, comprising the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, increased by around 2.45 million bpd in June to 38.39 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia accounted for roughly 900,000 bpd of the increase, while Kuwait contributed around 630,000 bpd.

Output from non-OPEC+ producers rose by around 1.63 million bpd to 60.37 million bpd, with the United Arab Emirates accounting for more than half of the increase at approximately 940,000 bpd.