The United States has decided to suspend all combat operations against Iran, the Axios portal reports, citing U.S. officials. This came after a mutual escalation in the area of the Strait of Hormuz. Already tomorrow, Tuesday, a meeting of representatives from Washington and Tehran is scheduled in Doha, where the parties will try to resolve the dispute over shipping. Notably, the “hot line” between the U.S. military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has not yet gone into operation—it was planned to be launched by Saturday, but that did not happen.
The escalation began after the United States said that a commercial vessel, the Kiko, was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the U.S. Central Command carried out strikes on ten Iranian sites, including radar systems, launchers, drones, and places where sea mines were deployed on Qeshm Island and in the Serik area. Iran, in turn, reported attacks on U.S. military bases, including the Ali as-Salem base in Kuwait and the headquarters of the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Tehran considers the U.S. strikes a violation of the bilateral memorandum of understanding, while Washington insists it acted to protect freedom of navigation.
Although the fighting stopped from the morning of Sunday, the situation remains tense. As Al Jazeera correspondent Omar Howawsh, in Tehran, notes, the crisis is far from over—both sides are “keeping a finger on the trigger.” The main disagreement concerns Article 5 of the memorandum, which sets the terms for “safe passage” of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is trying to chart alternative routes closer to the Omani coast, a move Iran strongly opposes. Thus, a ceasefire is only a temporary pause, not a final solution.
Earlier, a temporary 14-point agreement between Washington and Tehran was supposed to halt hostilities launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. The document also envisaged keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping until talks on more complex issues—including Iran’s nuclear program—are held. The upcoming meeting in Doha is seen as a decisive step in implementing that memorandum, and the results will determine whether the sides can turn a fragile ceasefire into long-term stability in the region.
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Who are the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and how does it differ from Iran’s regular army? — The IRGC is an elite politico-military formation created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution to defend its ideals. It reports directly to the Supreme Leader (Rahbar) and has its own land, naval and air forces, as well as the “Quds” unit for external operations. Unlike the regular army (Artesh), which mainly protects Iran’s territorial integrity and borders and reports to the Ministry of Defense, the IRGC is actively involved in political life, controls a significant part of the economy (through foundations and construction projects), and plays a key role in regional politics (for example, support for Hezbollah or Yemeni Houthi forces). For an international audience, it is important to understand: the IRGC is not just an army, but a “state within a state,” with enormous influence.
Why do Qeshm Island and the Serik area have strategic significance for Iran in the context of the Strait of Hormuz? — Qeshm Island is the largest island in the Persian Gulf, located at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. It allows Iran to control the narrow passage (about 33 km wide) through which around 20–25% of the world’s oil trade passes. Military naval bases, missile installations, and coastal defense systems are deployed on the island. The Serik area (the coastline to the east of Bandar Abbas) is also important for placing missile and observation complexes that provide “coverage” of the strait in the event of a conflict. Together, these points enable Iran to block or hamper the passage of ships, giving it leverage over global oil markets and Western countries.
Full version: Axios: America and Iran agree to halt escalation and settle the Hormuz dispute in Qatar