Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - The United States and Iran have reportedly agreed to pause attacks “for now” and hold talks in Doha on June 30, with the Strait of Hormuz dispute moving to the center of negotiations. The development comes as Hezbollah said it reserves the right to “defend its homeland” after Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, underscoring how the conflict remains active on multiple fronts.

According to reports citing U.S. officials, the two sides are expected to meet in Doha to work out their disagreement over the Strait of Hormuz after days of airstrikes and retaliatory attacks. The agenda had originally been tied to Iran’s nuclear programme and the meeting was first planned for Switzerland, but the latest escalation shifted the focus to shipping security and the status of the vital waterway. The truce is fragile, however, with Iranian warnings that vessels violating instructions in the strait could face consequences and U.S. officials saying the pause is only temporary.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah said Israeli strikes on the south amounted to a breach of the ceasefire and declared that it retains the right to defend the country. The group said it had adhered to the truce until now but was monitoring what it called continuing Israeli violations, while Lebanese officials continue to push for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern territory. The latest statement adds pressure on already strained regional diplomacy as U.S. efforts seek to keep both the Hormuz talks and the Lebanon truce from collapsing.

The Doha meeting may offer the first real chance to slow the escalation between Washington and Tehran, but the window remains narrow. With Hezbollah keeping up pressure in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz still disputed, West Asia’s ceasefire architecture looks increasingly fragile.