According to a report on July 9, despite the United States launching a new round of strikes against Iran this week, a US official stated that both sides are still engaged in “technical negotiations” on the nuclear issue, aiming for a diplomatic resolution.
The official said, “The US remains committed to finding a solution, and technical talks are continuing. Iran must never possess nuclear weapons.”
President Trump, speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey on July 8, said he believes the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran “is over” and does not want to deal with Iran anymore, adding that US forces could “very likely hit Iran hard again tonight.” However, according to a US media report on July 9, while returning to the US after the summit, he told reporters that Iran “called not long ago, and they are very eager to reach a deal.”
On July 7 and 8, US forces launched military strikes against Iran for two consecutive days, citing a response to recent Iranian attacks on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan.
The US and Iran released the official text of a memorandum of understanding on June 17, committing to negotiations within 60 days to reach a final agreement.