Ceasefire over, talks on: Trump's latest message to Iran

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States has agreed to hold further talks with Iran even as he declared the ceasefire between the two countries “over”, underscoring the fragile state of diplomacy after fighting flared again this week.

“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 on his Truth Social platform.

The remarks come days after the US president said the April 8 ceasefire that halted weeks of intense fighting had effectively collapsed following repeated exchanges of fire between Washington and Tehran.

The renewed violence has included Iranian attacks on commercial shipping, US retaliatory strikes and Iranian drone and missile attacks targeting American assets across the Middle East.

Amid the latest escalation, a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday in an effort to revive mediation between the two sides.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the visit is intended to reinforce Qatar’s role as a mediator following attacks earlier this week on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Doha had accused Iran of attacking an LNG carrier, while two other tankers were also damaged in the strategically vital waterway, raising fresh concerns over the security of one of the world’s busiest energy shipping routes.

Qatar has previously played a key role in facilitating indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran.

Iran also warned that any attack on its infrastructure would trigger retaliation against Israel.

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, head of Iran’s top security body, said Israel would “not be safe from the response of our fighters” if Iranian infrastructure were targeted.

The warning comes after the US military said it struck about 90 military targets during overnight operations earlier this week.

Iran, however, accused Washington of also hitting civilian infrastructure, including bridges and railway links between Tehran and Mashhad, where late supreme leader Ali Khamenei was buried on Thursday.

Iranian authorities said 17 people were killed in the strikes.

Later on Thursday, Iranian state media also reported a joint US-Israeli strike on a military headquarters near Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel remained ready to resume military operations against Iran “with even greater force” if necessary.

With inputs from AFP