Iran says diplomatic efforts ongoing via mediators amid fighting with US

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported from Tehran on July 20 that Iran says it has received mediator-backed proposals aimed at ending renewed fighting with the United States. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said offers had been conveyed to Tehran, but did not provide details or confirm US media reporting about a possible 10-day truce. He said diplomacy was proceeding alongside military efforts and urged countries in the region not to allow US forces to use their territory for attacks on Iran.

The report described a sharp escalation after renewed exchanges between Washington and Tehran, including strikes on bridges, roads and military sites in Iran. Al Jazeera said Iran has attacked Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and other Arab countries, saying it was targeting US forces there, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained open to diplomacy but argued Iranian missile and drone attacks that killed three US service members were obstructing talks.

Iranian officials rejected US claims of internal division. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, described as Iran’s chief negotiator, accused Washington of expanding military deployments while saying it wanted to end the fighting. Al Jazeera also reported that the US carried out a ninth consecutive day of strikes on Iran, including beyond the Strait of Hormuz region, and that Iran said a civilian nuclear power plant under construction at Darkhovin had been hit.

The conflict’s wider significance includes risks to regional security and energy flows, with Al Jazeera noting attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and a continuing US naval blockade of southern Iranian ports. Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said the war should continue until Iran achieves deterrence against future attacks, indicating no immediate end to the fighting.