Iran Continues Talks with Mediators to Prevent Escalation

The Iranian government has stated it is continuing talks with mediators from Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman in an effort to prevent further escalation in the conflict with the United States. “The role of the mediators is to continue their efforts to prevent an escalation of tensions,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei in a statement, as reported by AFP on Monday (13/7/2026). The US launched another series of strikes against Iranian targets on Monday local time, for the second consecutive day. Washington claims the military action is a response to attacks believed to have been carried out by Tehran on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The latest barrage of US strikes prompted Iran to target neighbouring countries in the Gulf region, as well as Jordan, in retaliation. Iran warned it will no longer comply with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the US in mid-June if Washington fails to meet its commitment to end the war. “Whenever the other party fails to fulfil its obligations, we too will not fulfil our obligations… We will continue to act in this manner,” Baghaei stressed at a recent press conference in Tehran, following the latest round of hostilities between the two nations. Baghaei emphasised that Iran is working to agree on a joint mechanism with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz. However, US pressure on Oman has hampered this effort. The renewed fighting between Iran and the US, following a fragile ceasefire in place since April, centres on conflicting claims over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway vital for global energy supplies. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) recently announced that the Strait of Hormuz is now “closed”. The US, however, insists the vital waterway remains open to maritime traffic and is not controlled by Iran. Mediators have been attempting to salvage a diplomatic solution to end the war, after US President Donald Trump declared last week that the ceasefire was over. Pakistan, the main mediator in the Iran-US negotiations, expressed “deep concern over the escalation of regional tensions” in a statement from its Foreign Ministry. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the US strikes had “caused the return of insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz” and “rendered all efforts futile” in building peace in the region.