Iran Official Meets Mediators in Pakistan as Iran Conflict with US Enters 10th Day

An Iranian official began meetings with mediators in Pakistan on Tuesday as diplomats sought to salvage a collapsed interim deal between Iran and the United States, even as both countries continued attacks for a 10th day of renewed fighting that has killed 17 US troops since February in the Iran conflict. [1]

Diplomatic Efforts Amid Ongoing Fighting

An Iranian official began meetings Tuesday with mediators in Pakistan as diplomats sought to salvage the collapsed interim deal between Iran and the United States, even as both countries continued to launch attacks for a 10th day of renewed fighting. [1] Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran has received “proposals” to end renewed fighting between Iran and the US. [4] Baghaei said that diplomatic efforts are coming in lockstep with those of armed forces after recent political divisions between hardliners and more moderate factions. [4] He also urged regional countries not to allow the US military to use their territory to launch or facilitate attacks on Iranian soil in continuation of the US-Israel war on Iran that began on February 28. [4] US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington “always remains open to diplomatic solutions”. [4] But he added that Iran’s missile and drone strikes, which have killed three American service members over the past week, are an impediment to diplomacy. [4] Rubio also claimed that a “split” has emerged among Iranian officials, with one faction wanting to continue war against the US and others seeking negotiations. [4] Iran’s chief negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, hit back at Rubio on Monday, saying that despite the US claiming it seeks an end to the fighting, it continues to import military equipment to the region. [4] “We have reached the level of a full professor on recognising these American games, and we’ve prepared ourselves on that basis. Actions must confirm claims, not contradict them,” Ghalibaf wrote on X on Monday. [4]

US Troop Casualties and Trump's Response

Nearly 100 US service members have suffered injuries since July 7 amid ongoing hostilities with Iran, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Monday. [2] Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a post on X that nearly 100 U.S. personnel had sustained “some degree of injury” since July 7. [2] The statement did not specify the nature or severity of the injuries, nor did it provide a breakdown of casualties by incident or location. [2] Figures attributed to the U.S. Department of Defense indicate that 18 U.S. service members have been killed and 447 injured since the conflict began on February 28. [2] The number of U.S. troops killed in the war on Iran rose to 17 over the weekend, with the remains of an additional service member being examined. [3] Two of the personnel were confirmed to have been killed when Iran attacked U.S. personnel in Jordan. [3] In March, six U.S. troops were killed when an Iranian drone slammed into a U.S. military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. [3] Roughly 430 U.S. troops have been injured in the conflict so far. [3] President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran would "pay" for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed over the weekend as part of the United States' war against Iran. [3] "Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over," Trump wrote on Truth Social. [3] "This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine." [3] The White House said Trump would attend the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the service members killed. [3]

US troops injured in Iran conflict, according to Pentagon reports. — Source: khaamapress

Military Actions by Both Sides

The US launched a ninth consecutive day of strikes on Iran overnight, extending beyond the Strait of Hormuz region, to areas such as Tabriz in northwest Iran. [4] On Sunday, the US military hit a civilian nuclear power plant under construction in Darkhovin, which Iran said had no military objective. [4] It claims that the targeting of civilian infrastructure shows US opposition to Iran’s economic progress and development. [4] Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the conventional army have continued attacks on US military targets. [4] The IRGC released a video on Monday afternoon showing Kheibar Shekan, Fateh-110, Zolfaghar and Emad ballistic missiles being used in the latest strikes. [4] “Anyone who destabilises the security of the Iranian people will not themselves be safe either!” read a message placed on one of the missiles in Arabic and English. [4] Iran has carried out its own attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and other Arab countries, including on civilian infrastructure, claiming to target US forces in these countries. [4] Tankers and other commercial ships have also been struck in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global energy supplies passed before the war. [4] A US naval blockade on Iran’s southern ports continues, in an attempt to strangle the country’s economy. [4]

Threats of Escalation and Ground Operations

In the past week, Trump has threatened to expand the targets being struck in Iran to include energy plants and bridges, sending ground forces to seize Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub and bombing a deep-underground nuclear-linked site known as Pickaxe Mountain. [3] Sources have told Reuters that recent waves of U.S. strikes on Iran aimed at forcing open the Strait of Hormuz are also targeting Iranian military capabilities the U.S. would want to destroy before executing more complex operations against Iran. [3] The systematic US bombing of southern Iran has led to speculation that US forces may be preparing for a potential ground offensive in this region. [4] Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, warned on Monday that it was “counting down the minutes to welcome” US soldiers. [4] This includes any potential attack on the strategically important Kharg Island, from where Iran exports almost all of its crude oil. [4] Few believe that such a military endeavour by the US would be feasible, let alone holding the ground while Iran maintains a formidable arsenal of drones and missiles. [4] “It is very unlikely that they would be able to seize a place without much hardship, and then holding it would be another matter entirely,” a state television host said on the war-focused Be Vaght-e Iran programme. [4] “But even if all of that happens, it would not be the end of the world.” [4]

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Internal Iranian Politics and Statements

Baghaei said that diplomatic efforts are coming in lockstep with those of armed forces after recent political divisions between hardliners and more moderate factions. [4] A number of Iranian officials continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the US last month, which has now been suspended by both sides. [4] Speaking in Tehran during an event on Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian defended the MoU by saying none of its 14 articles signalled a retreat from the principles of the Islamic Republic or national interests. [4] “We are prepared to give up our lives to defend the country and the interests of the nation, and we have no doubts in this path. But at the same time, we must be realistic and accept the natural repercussions of this steadfastness as well,” he said, pointing to economic pains Iran has been experiencing. [4] There appears to be no immediate end to the conflict, and Iranian commanders said their tactic to avoid future US aggression, via their own attacks, is working. [4] “Wisdom dictates that war continues until it leads to full deterrence for the Iranian nation,” Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said. [4] “If that does not happen, the enemy will miscalculate again and commit an aggression against Iranian soil.” [4]

Regional and Congressional Context

The Strait of Hormuz and U.S. military facilities across the Middle East have emerged as key flashpoints, raising concerns over further attacks, regional instability and the potential impact on global energy and shipping markets. [2] Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Center until March, said the back and forth between U.S. and Iranian forces risked further escalation. [3] "Get our troops out now before we suffer a mass casualty attack. Break the escalation trap," Kent, who resigned over Trump's war in Iran, wrote on X. [3] The war, including its monetary cost, is set to dominate a congressional hearing on Tuesday with Hegseth and Caine. [3]

What to watch next: The war, including its monetary cost, is set to dominate a congressional hearing on Tuesday with Hegseth and Caine while Iranian commanders continue attacks until full deterrence is reached.