Tehran, July 20, 2026: Iran said on Monday it has received proposals from mediators aimed at de-escalating tensions with the United States and is reviewing them, while reaffirming its commitment to diplomacy despite the continuing exchange of military strikes.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said mediators were working to prevent further escalation and had conveyed proposals to Tehran.
“We have received the proposals through mediators, but will not discuss their details at this stage,” Baghaei said, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. He said Iran’s diplomatic corps continued to fulfil its responsibilities alongside the country’s armed forces. “While our armed forces respond firmly and decisively to the source of American aggression, diplomacy is fully aware of its duties and spares no effort in fulfilling them,” he said. Baghaei added that Iranian diplomats “will not abandon their duty,” just as the country’s armed forces “will not neglect their duty to defend the homeland.”
He also said Iran, in coordination with Oman, was determined to take the necessary measures to exercise its sovereignty and prevent security threats in the Strait of Hormuz. Baghaei rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran had released an American citizen previously detained on espionage charges, saying no such prisoner had been freed. “The individual in question was not a prisoner and was not charged with espionage,” he said.
Last week, Trump claimed that Iran had released an American citizen who he said had been wrongfully detained in December 2024. Addressing reporters in Tehran, Baghaei rejected the notion that Iran faced a choice between war and diplomacy. “I reject the duality of either war or diplomacy. Diplomacy is a tool through which we pursue our national interests, just like war,” he said.
He reiterated Tehran’s position that the 14-clause interim memorandum of understanding with the United States clearly assigns responsibility for managing the Strait of Hormuz to Iran in consultation with Oman and regional countries.”The text is completely clear, and there is no excuse for America to break the treaty,” he added. Baghaei also confirmed that messages from Washington had recently been delivered to Tehran through intermediaries despite the ongoing conflict.
“We have been informed by mediators, we have received messages, without going into details, but the diplomatic apparatus has remained active,” he said. He blamed the United States for the latest escalation and said Iran expected neighbouring countries not to allow their territories to be used for attacks against Iran. “As long as these crimes continue, our armed forces will respond,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to condemn US air strikes on the Darkhovin nuclear facility, which Tehran said was a peaceful civilian project still under construction.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would only consider ending the conflict once it had secured what he described as “the upper hand in the field.” “The end of the war is possible either through absolute military victory or through negotiations. The right time to negotiate is precisely when you have achieved a reliable field and strategic achievement on the military front,” Araghchi told the state-run IRNA news agency.
He added that political leaders must carefully balance military gains against the human and national costs of continuing the conflict. On the military front, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its ground forces remained on the highest level of readiness and were prepared to “neutralise any enemy incursion immediately.”
The conflict also continued to affect regional shipping. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a vessel caught fire after being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. The crew was safely rescued, but the vessel remained adrift as authorities investigated the incident.
Iranian media also reported fresh US strikes on several locations, including military sites near Tabriz and areas in Bushehr and Isfahan. Iranian authorities said one person was killed and several others injured in an attack near Tabriz.
In the Gulf, Bahrain and Kuwait activated air defence systems and warning sirens in response to reported drone threats, with no immediate reports of casualties. The IRGC claimed it had targeted US military facilities at Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base and carried out strikes against American positions elsewhere in the region. Those claims could not be independently verified.
The United States has also reportedly informed Israel that it plans to intensify its military campaign against Iran in the coming days, according to Israeli media reports. The conflict has also disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with oil prices rising above $90 per barrel amid concerns over global energy supplies.
