Diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the United States have gained fresh momentum, with mediating countries proposing a 10-day ceasefire aimed at reviving an interim agreement between the two sides, according to Reuters.

A senior Iranian official confirmed to Reuters that the proposal is intended to restore the Islamabad-mediated framework agreed last month and create space for renewed negotiations.

Under the memorandum of understanding brokered by Pakistan in Islamabad, Iran and the US had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, establish a timeline for a final agreement and continue comprehensive talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has also said diplomatic contacts with Washington remain active through intermediaries despite ongoing US military strikes, stressing that any future negotiations would be based solely on Iran’s national interests.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran continues to receive messages through mediators.

“We have received messages through mediators. The important point is that diplomacy has remained active in recent days, and several mediators have conveyed different proposals to us,” he said.

Baghaei blamed the United States for the latest escalation in the region and said Iran sought peaceful relations with its neighbours.

“We do not want hostility with our neighbours. We expect them to fulfil their responsibilities and not allow their territory to be used for attacks against Iran,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is due to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday for talks with Pakistani officials on bilateral cooperation, border security and the regional security situation.

Separately, Pakistan’s newly appointed ambassador to Iran, Imran Siddiqui, met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The two discussed regional developments, bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in multiple sectors.

The diplomatic push comes as military exchanges between Iran and the United States continue.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday it carried out strikes for a ninth consecutive day, targeting what it described as Iran’s capability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that US missiles struck several Iranian cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini, where loud explosions were heard.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it fired ballistic missiles at a US special operations headquarters in Al-Tanf, Syria, and at US aircraft stationed at Jordan’s Aqaba Airport.

The IRGC also claimed that two oil tankers attempting to pass through the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz were disabled following explosions, alleging the vessels had been directed onto an unsafe route by US forces.

Iran’s military warned that the Strait of Hormuz would remain unsafe as long as US military operations continued in the region. The heightened tensions have sharply reduced commercial shipping through the strategic waterway and pushed global crude oil prices higher.