Iran war day 84: US-Iran talks advance amid mediation push

Iran and the United States are pressing ahead with mediated negotiations to resolve the conflict, as Iranian media reported that both sides are exchanging messages and draft proposals aimed at structuring a formal agreement.

Al Jazeera correspondent Almigdad Alruhaid, reporting from Tehran, said Pakistani officials were engaged in what he described as ‘intense mediation activity’ between the two countries.

The diplomatic push follows US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement that there are ‘some good signs’ for a potential breakthrough. However, President Donald Trump warned that Washington could take ‘very drastic’ measures if Iran refuses to relinquish its uranium stockpiles.

Iran accused the United States and Israel of committing a ‘war crime’ for bombing the Pasteur Institute of Iran early in the conflict, following a warning from The Lancet journal that the strike severely damaged a cornerstone of the nation’s public health infrastructure.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group remains at ‘peak readiness’ in the Arabian Sea, releasing images of warplanes launching as Washington continues to apply pressure on Iran while mediation efforts proceed.

Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour stated that Israel continues to collectively punish over two million Palestinians through its blockade of humanitarian aid and sustained attacks, cautioning that the international community must not become ‘accustomed to seeing Palestinians killed’.