Iran says diplomatic exchanges with US via mediators still ongoing

Iran said on Monday that diplomatic exchanges with the United States via mediators were continuing, even as US strikes on the country expanded and fighting resumed across the region.

What did Iran say about talks with the US?

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said mediators had passed messages between Tehran and Washington in recent days. He declined to give details but said the diplomatic channel remained active despite the renewed military confrontation. His comments came at a press conference in Tehran attended by AFP.

"We have been informed by mediators, we have received messages, without going into details, but the main point is that the diplomatic apparatus has been active in recent days and ideas have been conveyed to us by certain mediators," Baghaei said.

Why did Iran reimpose its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran said it would not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be used by its foes to threaten the country's security. Baghaei said Tehran was "determined to take the necessary measures" to protect its sovereignty over the waterway. The strait carried a fifth of global oil supplies before the war, and oil prices surged to a one-month high as the US and Iran battled for control of it.

As the truce collapsed, Tehran reimposed its blockade of the waterway, and Washington responded by again blockading Iran's ports.

Where did the US strike inside Iran?

The US expanded its strikes on Monday to hit provinces beyond the areas near Hormuz that it had focused on since fighting resumed. Attacks reached the center and north of the country, according to state media and local authorities. All of the provinces struck host military bases and air defense systems.

In Bushehr, home to Iran's only operational civilian nuclear power plant, governor Mohammad Mozaffari told IRNA that several locations in the city were hit by US projectiles. In East Azerbaijan, the head of the local crisis management unit said one person was killed and several others injured.

What happened to ships in the Strait of Hormuz?

Sailors abandoned a vessel set on fire in an attack in the strait, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. It said the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile, the crew was safely recovered by a tug boat, and the fire had not been extinguished as the vessel drifted. Iran's Revolutionary Guards separately said two oil tankers trying to transit the strait exploded and were brought to a halt.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on other countries to help protect global shipping in the strait. He said some in Iran wanted to use control of the waterway as leverage, and that Washington would keep acting to protect shipping while urging allies to contribute hardware or financing.

How many US troops have died since the conflict began?

US Central Command said it completed a ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iran, and Rubio said he would keep trying to reach a diplomatic solution. The US announced three new military fatalities and one service member missing over the weekend. Two were killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks on Jordan, and another died in northern Iraq during the disposal of an unexploded Iranian drone.

President Trump said the latest US strikes "hit them very hard" in honour of the fatalities, which brought total confirmed US deaths since the conflict began to 17. Iran's health ministry had reported 50 people killed and more than 500 wounded as of Friday.

Which countries did Iran strike beyond its borders?

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they hit targets in Syria, Jordan and Kuwait overnight. In Syria, they said they launched a surprise attack on a special operations command centre in the Al-Tanf region, an area the US said it withdrew troops from in February.

In Jordan, the Guards said ballistic missiles struck US military aircraft at Aqaba Airport, causing severe damage. They also said they hit US targets in Kuwait, including an early-warning radar system described as completely destroyed. Kuwait's army said its air defences engaged hostile drones following the Iranian attacks, and Bahrain's interior ministry said air raid sirens sounded, urging residents to seek shelter.