US, Iran halt strikes after weekend escalation

Iranian and US technical teams likely to meet in Doha; Iranian President calls interim deal 'a great victory'

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Iranian and United States (US) technical teams working on the implementation of an interim peace deal are expected to meet in Doha in the coming days, a source told Reuters on Monday, after titfor-tat weekend strikes threatened to derail the fragile accord.

Mediators have established communications channels to de-escalate any incidents, and technical talks are set to continue, the source, with knowledge of the discussions, added.

A senior Iranian source said there would be a meeting in Doha on Tuesday, but unlike previous technical talks between Tehran and Washington in Switzerland, the focus would be on managing the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalating tensions.

US President Donald Trump confirmed in a social media post that there would be a meeting in Doha on Tuesday, but gave no details.

The US and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding aimed at ending four months of conflict on June 17, under which both sides agreed to cease hostilities and reopen the strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically transits.

Closure of the waterway sent oil prices to above $100 a barrel, pushing up global inflation and causing a political headache ahead of midterm elections for Trump, who touted falling oil and gas prices in a series of other early morning posts on Monday.