Hopes rise as strikes paused

Iran and the United States have paused their strikes after two weeks of escalation, raising hopes of a return to dialogue, as the Gulf countries push for adherence to diplomacy in an exchange of phone calls aimed at promoting peace and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a weekly news briefing, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the US would not be allowed to determine the time of war and peace. He also said the US is struggling in a situation it had created itself together with Israel, noting that Washington seeks talks each time energy prices surge.

Replying to a question about the response of Iran and the US to Pakistan and Qatar's plan for negotiations on ending the war, Baghaei said he does not know "how you think they will manage the war, a war that was supposed to force Iran to surrender, but they have been stuck in a quagmire for five months".

He said though Tehran holds Washington responsible for military aggression, it "cannot ignore the participation of regional countries". He did not name the countries.

"What is fundamental for us is national interest. … What is decisive for us is (Iran's) security and national interests, and decisions about it are made in a specific process," Baghaei was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency, adding that Iran will defend itself "for as long as necessary".

In an interview earlier with Austria's ORF television, Baghaei blamed the US for destroying the foundation for dialogue by violating the 14-point Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 17 aimed at ending the conflict.

Baghaei confirmed that messages were being exchanged between the US and Iran through mediators, but during his news conference on Monday, he also said that Tehran has not requested a restart of negotiations with Washington to end the fighting.

"This is not war management. Repeated war crimes and boasting about them are merely attempts to escape a disaster they created under the influence of the Zionist regime, and they will inevitably pay the price," Baghaei was quoted as saying in a report by Al Jazeera.

General Ramezan Sharif, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Sacred Defense Documents Center, said at an event in the Iranian city of Arak on Sunday that the US had suffered an all-out defeat despite utilizing its power and capabilities in the military, political, economic, and cultural fields, Mehr News Agency reported.

Flurry of activity

According to US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, US President Donald Trump is giving talks with Iran "some space" through the pause on airstrikes, after a series of diplomatic efforts seen in recent days.

Over the weekend, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held separate phone calls with senior officials of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

According to statements from Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions reviewed cooperation and regional developments, particularly focusing on diplomatic efforts and joint coordination aimed at de-escalation and bolstering security and stability in the region.

"His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized during the call the necessity for all parties to adhere to dialogue and diplomacy, and to implement the agreements reached within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran," said the Qatari statement.

Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, said that negotiations were held between Iran and Oman on Friday and Saturday in regard to the strait.

"There were useful discussions on how to manage shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," Baghaei was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera, adding that the situation in the critical waterway has not changed.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi militants said they launched drone attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure on Monday in response to incursions by the kingdom's drones, raising new uncertainties in the region.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com