Mediator Qatar urged the United States and Iran to return to negotiations after they renewed tit-for-tat attacks.
United States carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran quickly responded by attacking U.S. military targets in the Middle East.
After six months of war, the two countries remain at a deadlock. Iran has disrupted traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz with a blockade, while the United States continues its counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said the country had warned from the beginning that leaving the issue unresolved and allowing the closure of the strait to become normal would lead to further escalation.
“This is precisely what we have witnessed over the past two days,” he said.
Al-Ansari urged both sides to exercise wisdom and return to negotiations. He said Qatar was continuing its mediation efforts with its partners to help restart talks.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would “immediately” respond if the United States returned to a June agreement aimed at ending the war.
Al-Ansari said the current situation could not continue, adding that the region and the world could not afford to accept the status quo.
He said talks with Qatar’s mediation partners, including Pakistan and Oman, were continuing.
Last week, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani visited Tehran as part of the mediation efforts. Iran and Oman, which border the strategic Strait of Hormuz, have also said they were discussing a temporary shipping route and efforts to clear mines from the area.
