Iran says diplomatic efforts ongoing via mediators amid fighting with US

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkA woman walks next to anti-US graffiti on a street in Tehran, Iran [Abein Taherkenareh/EPA]By Maziar MotamediPublished On 20 Jul 202620 Jul 2026Tehran, Iran – Iran has said it has been approached via mediators to end a new bout of fighting with the United States.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran has received “proposals” to end renewed fighting between Iran and the US. But he did not disclose details of the new offer or whether they involved a 10-day truce, as reported by US media.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Why is Iran bombing Gulf states while avoiding US naval assets and Israel?list 2 of 4Iran says Spain World Cup win brings joy to critics of US, Israellist 3 of 4What are ‘civilian’ sites in international law and where have US, Iran hit?list 4 of 4What we know about US soldiers killed in Iran war, and Iranian casualtiesend of list“Proposals have been raised through mediators and have been passed over to us,” he told reporters during a press conference in Tehran.Baghaei said that diplomatic efforts are coming in lockstep with those of armed forces after recent political divisions between hardliners and more moderate factions.He also urged regional countries not to allow the US military to use their territory to launch or facilitate attacks on Iranian soil in continuation of the US-Israel war on Iran that began on February 28.War re-eruptsThis comes after a recent flare-up between Tehran and Washington, with bridges, roads, and military sites targeted in Iran.Iran has carried out its own attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and other Arab countries, including on civilian infrastructure, claiming to target US forces in these countries.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington “always remains open to diplomatic solutions”. But he added that Iran’s missile and drone strikes, which have killed three American service members over the past week, are an impediment to diplomacy.Rubio also claimed that a “split” has emerged among Iranian officials, with one faction wanting to continue war against the US and others seeking negotiations.Smoke rises from an explosion at an unknown location, during what US Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this still image taken from a handout video [US Central Command/Handout via Reuters]Iran’s chief negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, hit back at Rubio on Monday, saying that despite the US claiming it seeks an end to the fighting, it continues to import military equipment to the region.“We have reached the level of a full professor on recognising these American games, and we’ve prepared ourselves on that basis. Actions must confirm claims, not contradict them,” Ghalibaf wrote on X on Monday.The US launched a ninth consecutive day of strikes on Iran overnight, extending beyond the Strait of Hormuz region, to areas such as Tabriz in northwest Iran.On Sunday, the US military hit a civilian nuclear power plant under construction in Darkhovin, which Iran said had no military objective. It claims that the targeting of civilian infrastructure shows US opposition to Iran’s economic progress and development.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the conventional army have continued attacks on US military targets. The IRGC released a video on Monday afternoon showing Kheibar Shekan, Fateh-110, Zolfaghar and Emad ballistic missiles being used in the latest strikes.“Anyone who destabilises the security of the Iranian people will not themselves be safe either!” read a message placed on one of the missiles in Arabic and English.Tankers and other commercial ships have also been struck in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global energy supplies passed before the war. A US naval blockade on Iran’s southern ports continues, in an attempt to strangle the country’s economy.Ground invasionThe systematic US bombing of southern Iran has led to speculation that US forces may be preparing for a potential ground offensive in this region.Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, warned on Monday that it was “counting down the minutes to welcome” US soldiers. This includes any potential attack on the strategically important Kharg Island, from where Iran exports almost all of its crude oil.Mourners pose with a photo of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei under a banner opposing US President Donald Trump in a main thoroughfare near the Imam Reza Shrine early in Mashhad, Iran on July 9 [John Moore/Getty Images] Few believe that such a military endeavour by the US would be feasible, let alone holding the ground while Iran maintains a formidable arsenal of drones and missiles.“It is very unlikely that they would be able to seize a place without much hardship, and then holding it would be another matter entirely,” a state television host said on the war-focused Be Vaght-e Iran programme. “But even if all of that happens, it would not be the end of the world.”A number of Iranian officials continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the US last month, which has now been suspended by both sides.Speaking in Tehran during an event on Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian defended the MoU by saying none of its 14 articles signalled a retreat from the principles of the Islamic Republic or national interests.“We are prepared to give up our lives to defend the country and the interests of the nation, and we have no doubts in this path. But at the same time, we must be realistic and accept the natural repercussions of this steadfastness as well,” he said, pointing to economic pains Iran has been experiencing.There appears to be no immediate end to the conflict, and Iranian commanders said their tactic to avoid future US aggression, via their own attacks, is working.“Wisdom dictates that war continues until it leads to full deterrence for the Iranian nation,” Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said. “If that does not happen, the enemy will miscalculate again and commit an aggression against Iranian soil.”