US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran on Thursday of backing out of agreements it makes, saying it is 'paying the price' as strikes continue, while regional mediation channels continued to exchange messages between the two sides without achieving a breakthrough leading to a halt in the war.

Rubio said during a visit to Manila that the United States has adhered to the understandings it reached with Iran, while Tehran has persistently disavowed them despite the losses it has incurred.

He added: 'They make agreements and then almost immediately break them, or decide to change their terms. That is not how agreements are made.'

He continued: 'That's why they are paying the price now. And they might change their minds in the next few days as they continue to suffer heavy losses.'

He said the United States remains ready to reach an agreement that ensures Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon, but he saw that Iranian officials 'do not appear serious' at the moment, adding that Tehran 'is not ready to make a deal, or at least a deal it is prepared to abide by.'

He also said President Donald Trump's policy is based on the principle of 'an eye for an eye,' and that 'the price Iran will pay will increase every night until they come to their senses.'

Regarding regional escalation, Rubio accused Iran of pushing the Houthis to resume attacks in the Red Sea, after they had 'largely stayed out of the conflict.'

He said the Houthis were 'lured' into attacking ships, expressing hope that they would 'de-escalate,' and adding that he believes Iran 'deceived the Houthis and dragged them into this.'

Mediators' Messages

In contrast, Tehran affirmed that political communications have not stopped despite the continuation of military operations. Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni held a series of meetings in Pakistan in recent days, as part of efforts to maintain communication channels through one of the most prominent mediators between Washington and Tehran.

The spokesman for the Iranian Interior Ministry, Ali Zainivand, said that 'diplomacy has not been canceled,' and that messages are still being exchanged through mediators, without revealing their content or the parties transmitting them.

It was not clear whether Momeni's visit carried new proposals to end the war, as the dispute shifted from ceasefire conditions to issues of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The Associated Press quoted a regional diplomat, who requested anonymity, as saying that countries in the region have become more pessimistic about the chances of finding a way out of the crisis, amid escalating mutual threats and ongoing military operations.

He added that regional countries, along with Pakistan and Turkey, continue their efforts to de-escalate and maintain communication channels, but the chances of making progress remain limited.

The positions of the two sides indicate the persistence of the political gap despite communication channels remaining open. Washington accuses Tehran of backtracking on previous understandings and not being serious in negotiations, while Iran says the continuation of US strikes and the naval blockade undermine any chance of resuming negotiations.

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