Trump says Iran ceasefire is over but talks continue

President Trump said the U.S. ceasefire with Iran is “OVER,” but Washington and Tehran are still communicating through mediators after a sharp escalation that included attacks on commercial ships, U.S. strikes inside Iran and Iranian retaliation against U.S. assets in the Gulf.

“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 Friday on Truth Social.

The truce, part of a memorandum of understanding signed June 17, was intended to create a 60-day window for negotiations on a broader peace deal. It lasted less than three weeks before this week’s exchange of fire. Still, U.S. officials and people familiar with the discussions told CBS News and Al Jazeera that Washington remains committed to negotiations, with indirect diplomacy continuing through Qatar and other mediators.

Three sources familiar with the effort told CBS News that “active conversations” between the U.S. and Iran have continued, mediated by Qatar. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been speaking with Qatar’s prime minister and his team for days, CBS reported. A source familiar with the discussions told CBS that Araghchi has defended the actions of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which fired on three commercial vessels Tuesday in Omani territorial waters.

The U.S. says Iran violated the agreement by interfering with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime routes. CBS reported that the IRGC has also sought to charge ships fees to use the lane, which Washington opposes. Iran, according to the reports, has attempted to divert traffic away from Omani waters and through a route closer to Iranian territory.

Al Jazeera reported that the U.S. launched attacks on 85 targets in Iran on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning after commercial ships in the strait were attacked. Iran then retaliated against U.S. military assets and infrastructure in Gulf states on Wednesday, prompting further U.S. attacks on 90 Iranian targets Wednesday night and Thursday in Iran’s southern coastal and eastern provinces. Iran said the strikes hit civilian infrastructure; a U.S. official told CBS News that railways Iran was using to transport military supplies were among the targets.

Iranian media reported multiple explosions early Friday across southern Iran, including in Bushehr, Konarak, Choghadak and Bandar Abbas. The U.S. denied involvement, Al Jazeera reported.

Both sides accuse the other of breaking the memorandum. Iran’s Foreign Ministry described U.S. attacks on sites in southern coastal provinces and two railway bridges as “a grave war crime,” according to Al Jazeera, and said Washington breached provisions on ending the war. Tehran also filed a formal complaint against the U.S. with the United Nations Security Council and the U.N. secretary-general.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Muhammad Ghalibaf, described by Al Jazeera as a key negotiator, wrote Thursday on X: “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit.”

Trump’s public comments have shifted in tone. At a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, he said he thought the memorandum was “over” and called Iranian leaders “scum,” while also saying U.S. negotiators could continue talks. On Air Force One, he said returning to full-scale war was not the aim and that Tehran “wants to make a deal,” Al Jazeera reported.

Qatar has reaffirmed its role as mediator. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said Qatar remained committed to mediation “despite being directly affected” by the conflict and said “military solutions will not achieve lasting stability, and the diplomatic path remains the only option capable of ending crises and achieving regional security and stability.”

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said a Qatari delegation arrived Friday in Iran to “stabilize” Qatar’s role after the week’s events. Qatar accused Iran this week of targeting a Qatari-owned tanker in the Strait of Hormuz; Iran denied attacking a Qatari ship.

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains far below prewar levels, according to shipping intelligence groups and tracking data cited by CBS News. Analysts told CBS that is likely to continue until a wider peace deal is reached.