Iran says diplomatic contacts continue despite escalation of military operations in the region

Published 20 July 2026, 07:00 GMT

Last updated 17 minutes ago

Reading time: 5 minutes

Tehran announced Monday that diplomatic contacts with Washington through mediators are still ongoing, despite American military strikes and Iranian targeting of sites in the Gulf and Jordan.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a press conference in Tehran: "We were informed through mediators and received messages, without going into details, but the important thing is that the diplomatic apparatus was active in recent days, and ideas were conveyed to us through some mediators."

And Baqaei explained that Tehran will continue both the paths of war and diplomacy in a way that takes into account its 'national interests,' in response to a question about whether the door for dialogue with the United States has become closed.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Baqaei said his country 'will not allow this waterway to be misused again to threaten Iran's security and national interests,' stressing that Tehran is 'determined to take the necessary measures' to defend its sovereignty and protect its interests.

This comes after the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced they bombed 'American military targets' in Kuwait, according to the official Iranian news agency (IRNA).

The Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that via drones it 'completely destroyed the early warning radar system of the American army,' along with launching another attack targeting 'a warehouse for air equipment and parts and a hangar for MQ9 drones at Ali Al Salem base, causing fires in several drones.'

In contrast, the Kuwaiti Defense Ministry spokesman confirmed that Iran continues to target 'civilian and vital facilities' in the country, including facilities belonging to the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy, leading to fires and severe damage to a number of its vital facilities and installations, while Kuwaiti defenses continue to repel 'sinful' and 'hostile' attacks by Iran, according to Kuwait.

US Embassy in Jordan urges its nationals to avoid Aqaba airport and port, and Jordan denies evacuating the area

Meanwhile, Bahrain said its air defenses 'intercepted and destroyed a number of treacherous Iranian aerial attacks today, Monday,' after sirens were sounded several times over the past few hours and explosions were heard in Bahrain.

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Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Manama said it had obtained information indicating that Iran may seek to target 'unspecified sites' in the center of the Bahraini capital, and urged Americans residing in Bahrain to exercise caution.

Earlier this morning, the United States announced it had launched a 'new wave of strikes' against Iran for the ninth consecutive day, aimed at undermining its ability to attack commercial ships and civilian sailors transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Iranian state media also reported that the American bombardment overnight in the northwest of the country killed at least one person and injured others.

The official IRNA news agency quoted Majid Farshi, head of the Crisis Management Department in East Azerbaijan Province, confirming the death of one person and injury of others in an American attack targeting an area southwest of Tabriz on Monday morning.

American strikes on Iranian military sites for the ninth night, and Rubio affirms that Washington is open to a diplomatic solution

Iranian state media reported that the coastal city of Bushehr, which houses the country's only civilian nuclear plant, was subjected to American bombing that struck several sites there.

IRNA quoted Bushehr Governor Mohammad Mozaffari as saying: 'Minutes ago, American enemy projectiles struck several sites in the city of Bushehr.'

In this context, Iran called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to condemn a bombing it said 'targeted' a nuclear plant under construction in the southwest of the country on Sunday.

"Two oil tankers exploded" in the southern Strait of Hormuz

The Revolutionary Guards announced that two oil tankers exploded and stopped sailing after attempting to cross what it described as an unsafe southern route through the Strait of Hormuz, and accused the US military of encouraging the two ships to use this passage.

The statement did not include any details about the names of the two tankers, their flags, crews, or any injuries.

The Revolutionary Guards said the waterway will remain 'unsafe' as long as the American 'aggression' in the region continues, and stressed that 'this passage will not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products, not even a single drop of oil and gas,' according to the Iranian statement.

The British Maritime Trade Operations said the crew of a ship that caught fire after being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz evacuated safely.

The authority said in a statement: 'The ship was hit by an unknown projectile. The crew evacuated safely and were rescued by a boat... The fire has not been extinguished and the ship is currently drifting at sea... No environmental impact has been reported.'

The authority earlier reported that the ship was 'on fire' eight nautical miles northwest of the Kumzar area in the Sultanate of Oman.

Data from the London Stock Exchange Group showed four ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, compared to eight ships the previous day. The data also showed that at least three oil product tankers and one very large crude oil carrier entered the strait since Friday to load oil.

Oil prices rose 2 percent to exceed $90 per barrel on Monday.

Iraqi Prime Minister to Tehran

In Iraq, the Iranian opposition party 'Komala Kurdistan Workers' Organization' announced early Monday that its headquarters in the Wadi Alana area of Erbil province in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq were subjected to a new missile attack, with no immediate information on any casualties.

The party said in a statement that the attack occurred after midnight local time, accusing Iran of carrying it out as part of a series of attacks targeting its headquarters within the region, saying that Tehran has targeted its bases and headquarters with more than 91 missiles and drones since the outbreak of the conflict between it and the United States and Israel.

The attack came a day after a camp belonging to the Iranian opposition party 'Kurdistan Freedom Party' in the Darshakran area west of Erbil was targeted by drones, wounding eight party members, including some with critical injuries.

On Friday, a headquarters of the 'Komala Kurdistan Workers' Organization' in the Zarkoyiz area of Sulaymaniyah province was subjected to what was described as a ballistic missile bombardment, causing deaths and injuries among party members.