Diplomatic Talks Between US and Iran Continue Despite Military Strikes

Tehran has confirmed that diplomatic communications with Washington continue through intermediaries despite ongoing US military strikes.

Ismail Baqaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated at a press conference in Tehran, "We have been informed through intermediaries and received messages, without going into details. What matters is that the diplomatic apparatus has been active in recent days, and ideas have been conveyed to us through some intermediaries."

On Monday, US forces launched attacks on Iran for the ninth consecutive day as the confirmed number of American military fatalities in the renewed fighting rose to three, raising concerns about navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Central Command ("Centcom") issued a statement announcing the start of a "new wave of strikes" aimed at "undermining" Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels in the vital maritime passages of the strait.

According to the statement, the US military targeted Iranian coastal surveillance and air defense military installations.

The statement added that the strikes hit Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, naval capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communication networks.

Separately, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that American missiles struck several Iranian cities early on Monday.