U.S. and Iran sign 14-point MoU to pause 109-day conflict

The framework ends the U.S. naval blockade of Iran and requires Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan and Qatar mediated the talks.

Recent developments Clashes between the two sides occurred on Friday and Saturday after the signing, though the overall number of attacks has declined. The MoU gives both governments a 60-day period to reach a permanent settlement.

Background and context The war began February 28 and ended with the June 17 signing. Approximately 7,200 missiles were fired during the conflict, with nearly 80 percent aimed at civilian infrastructure. Khalid al-Jaber, director of the Middle East Council for Global Affairs, said the fighting reshaped the region through open state-to-state conflict and disrupted global supply chains.

Nabil Khoury, a former U.S. diplomat, told Al Jazeera the war exposed the limits of military power. "This war showed the limits of power, the limits of using force. Power does not mean impact," Khoury said. Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, noted that both Washington and Tehran now face greater economic costs from renewed fighting than from maintaining the current framework.

Limited strikes on southern Iranian ports by the U.S. and Iranian targeting of Kuwait and Bahrain continued this week.