While the US and Iran exchange harsh military threats, Washington has stated it is committed to finding a solution with Iran and that technical talks are ongoing. Regional mediators, meanwhile, are making intense efforts to lower tensions between the two countries and prevent a new military escalation.
Regional mediators, led by Qatar and Pakistan, are trying to reduce tensions between the US and Iran and revive nuclear deal negotiations.
Sources with knowledge of the diplomatic contacts said that last Wednesday, Qatari, Pakistani, Egyptian, Saudi and Turkish officials held numerous phone calls with their US and Iranian counterparts, first to calm the situation and then to set a date for a new round of negotiations between technical teams.
According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. He also conducted phone diplomacy with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
During the talks, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani reiterated Qatar's support for all initiatives to contain the escalation and called for a comprehensive agreement that would strengthen security and stability in the region and achieve sustainable peace.
The US launched new airstrikes on Iran shortly after President Donald Trump said that Iran's recent attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz meant the end of the ceasefire and threatened to escalate the conflict if the attacks did not stop. Iran retaliated by targeting US allies Kuwait and Bahrain, and accused the US of striking an area near its sole nuclear power plant.
Trump's insistence that authorizing a series of military strikes does not mean it is turning into an all-out war, while doing so, increases uncertainty about what will happen next.
A US official told CNN that technical talks are ongoing in search of a diplomatic solution on the nuclear file, emphasizing that the main goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. According to a New York Post report citing a source close to the White House, Trump still wants the war to end but will not sit idly by if Iran continues to fire on ships.
US officials pointed to preparations to strike Iran if necessary but added that there is still room for diplomacy. Israeli sources, meanwhile, indicated that Israel is prepared to take part in strikes against Iran if requested by Washington.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a phone call yesterday with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, described the recent US strikes as a violation of the memorandum of understanding between the two countries and warned against a new American 'adventure'. A source from a regional mediator country told Axios that the fate of the memorandum depends on Iran's stance. Mediators believe the latest attacks in the Strait of Hormuz were orchestrated by elements within the Iranian regime who oppose the memorandum and seek to undermine it.
The disruption of navigation in the critical waterway, along with Iran's insistence on asserting control over the strait and coordinating transit regulations, risks reigniting the conflict in the region. During a phone call between the Omani and Iranian foreign ministers, both stressed the need to ensure freedom of navigation and the flow of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law.
Iran's official news agency reported that Tehran is committed to ensuring the safety and order of maritime navigation but will continue to defend its sovereignty, and warned against third parties pressuring ship owners to use unauthorized alternative routes.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), for its part, announced that it had facilitated the passage of more than 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of May, rejecting Iran's claim of any control over the strait.
