US wants to negotiate with Iran despite attacks – Mediators seek way out of escalation
Washington/Tehran, 10 July 2026
Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0
Summary
Despite recent mutual attacks between the US and Iran, technical talks on a nuclear deal are continuing, according to a US government official. Regional mediators such as Pakistan, Qatar, and Israel are trying to de-escalate the situation, while the Strait of Hormuz, serving as a central pressure point in the conflict, has nearly come to a complete standstill.
Washington/Tehran, 10 July 2026
The United States has signaled its willingness to continue negotiations with Iran, even though the US military has launched multiple waves of strikes against targets in Iran in recent days, and Tehran responded with counterattacks on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
A senior US government official told the German Press Agency (dpa): „Die Vereinigten Staaten setzen sich weiterhin für eine Lösung ein, und die technischen Gespräche laufen weiter.“ The statement came against the backdrop of one of the most severe military escalations between Washington and Tehran in years. The US military has carried out several waves of strikes against targets in Iran in recent days, justified by attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, for which the US holds Tehran responsible.
Iran responded in turn with attacks. In the process, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan – which host key US military bases – once again came under fire. The strait has proven to be Iran's strongest economic and military lever of pressure in the conflict. At the same time, it is a central element of the framework agreement between the parties that is meant to end the hostilities.
Regional mediators step in
As reported by the US news portal "Axios," citing security sources, Qatar, Pakistan, and other regional mediators are working to ease tensions and revive negotiations on a nuclear deal. Sources in Islamabad said the Iranian side had asked the mediator state Pakistan to signal willingness to negotiate to the United States. The US side had indicated readiness for further talks overnight, according to the report.
According to the report, there was reportedly a long conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Pakistan's powerful army chief Asim Munir. The conversation between the two lasted late into the night. In the talks, Pakistan warned Tehran that renewed attacks by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on Arab countries in the region could lead to an escalation.
Security concerns and assassination warning
A Pakistani representative told the Iranian negotiators, according to dpa information: „Wenn Länder wie Saudi-Arabien oder die Vereinigten Arabische Emirate anfangen, gegen den Iran zurückzuschlagen, wird sich dieser Krieg in seiner Form völlig ändern.“ Sources in Islamabad also said the Iranian side had, in the talks, betrayed uncertainty about how hardliner factions within the country would behave in the future.
„Axios“ quoted a source saying the mediators assumed that the recent Iranian attacks in the strait – vital for the global trade in oil, gas, and fertilizer – were initiated by forces within the Iranian leadership that reject and seek to undermine the framework agreement. According to the portal, however, the mediators also believe that the two sides to the conflict – despite the recent escalation – had made progress on the path to a nuclear deal in earlier rounds of talks.
US President Donald Trump recently threatened Iran with even more severe attacks should Tehran continue to fire on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. At a military ceremony, he said future attacks could come with „noch größerer Härte“ than before. Trump later said: „Ich bin die Nummer eins auf der Todesliste des Irans.“ On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, he expressed doubt about another ceasefire and said: „Ich denke, es ist vorbei.“
Israel and the dispute over the approach toward Tehran
On his return flight from the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump did not use the new Air Force One as expected, fueling speculation about security risks surrounding the gift from the Gulf emirate of Qatar. As the "Wall Street Journal" and US television network CNN reported, citing unnamed sources, Israel warned the US government about Iranian plans to assassinate President Donald Trump. According to the reports, the leadership in Tehran only recently developed the alleged plot. Other US officials have suggested that Israel's warning could be an attempt to influence Trump regarding his further course of action in the conflict with Iran.
The Israeli warning was new and related to a specific assassination plan, a US government official told CNN. The US government has recently received such warnings frequently, but the one from Israel was new and related to a specific assassination plan. In a phone call, Trump was briefed „über das Vorgehen der USA in der Golfregion“, Netanyahu's office said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently advocated a significantly tougher approach toward Tehran and clashed with Trump over it. As "Axios" further reported, the portal cites certain groups within the mullah regime as a possible reason for the recent attacks on shipping.
Uncertainty over further negotiations
Israeli Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz wrote on the platform X that from Tehran's perspective, capitulation was „keine realistische Option“. This puts the United States „vor einer schwierigen strategischen Entscheidung“, he wrote. Whether further negotiations planned for this weekend will take place is currently uncertain, according to security sources.
The conduct of the Iranian leadership represents a breach of the framework agreement concluded in June „inakzeptablen Ausmaßes“, the US official told dpa. The agreement was intended to enable a 60-day negotiating phase and pave the way for a permanent resolution of the conflict. The reopening of the strait is a central element of this framework agreement.
Shipping traffic through the Hormuz Strait collapses
The impact on international shipping is severe. Only 22 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. On Wednesday, transits had still been at 30. On the Thursday a week earlier – before the renewed fighting broke out – the counter stood at 48 passages. Transits are thus on a downward trend since their peak in mid-June.
Mourning for the former Supreme Leader
More than four months after his death, the former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried in the Imam Reza Shrine in his hometown of Mashhad in the northeast of the country, in a closed ceremony. Thousands crowded into the streets of the metropolis of millions for the funeral procession on Thursday. According to insiders, the 56-year-old suffered severe injuries in the attack that killed his father.
Questions & Answers
Who is Abbas Araghchi?
Abbas Araghchi is the Foreign Minister of Iran and in recent days held a long conversation with Pakistani army chief Asim Munir about a possible diplomatic solution.
What role does Pakistan play in the negotiations?
Pakistan is mediating between the US and Iran. The Iranian side has asked Pakistan to signal willingness to negotiate to the United States, and at the same time warned against further escalation through attacks on Arab neighboring countries.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz so contested?
The strait is considered the most important trade route for oil, gas, and fertilizer. For Iran, it is reportedly the strongest economic and military lever of pressure in the conflict, which is why its reopening is a central element of the framework agreement.
USA Iran Negotiations Hormuz July 2026 | allfacts360
