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Mediators hold another series of talks on de-escalation with Iran, US — AP

Pakistani, Qatari and Egyptian negotiators held a fresh series of mediatory talks with the US and Iran to de-escalate tensions, as Iran maintains contact with regional countries and reaffirms its readiness to use all means to ensure its security. The efforts come amid ongoing airstrikes and a history of conflict since late February.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 3 articles Version 1 Coverage Jul 10–13, 2026 Published Aug 15

Lead

A new series of mediatory talks between the United States and Iran has taken place, involving Pakistani, Qatari and Egyptian negotiators, according to a report citing sources. The discussions were held over the past weekend, as the two countries continue to grapple with a conflict that has seen repeated military exchanges.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said at a news briefing that Tehran is maintaining contact with Oman, Pakistan and Qatar to prevent further escalation in the region. "The task facing the mediators is to prevent any escalation of tensions, and we have maintained contact with Qatar, Oman, and Pakistan over the past few days, and these contacts are ongoing," he said. Baghaei added that Tehran "will use all necessary means and methods to ensure its national interests and national security."

Coverage comparison

The reports, all from TASS, describe the mediatory efforts and the broader context of US-Iranian conflict. One report, focusing on Pakistan's role, quotes Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif as saying, during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, that Islamabad is ready to continue its mediatory efforts. Sharif wrote on his X page: "We discussed the evolving regional situation and underscored the imperative of restraint, dialogue and diplomacy to safeguard the hard-earned peace gains of recent months. I reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to continue playing its role as an honest and sincere mediator for lasting regional peace."

Another report notes that Pakistani, Qatari and Egyptian negotiators held the talks with the US and Iran, citing the Associated Press. It mentions a phone call between Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, and says the intermediaries intend to continue efforts toward de-escalation.

Key claims

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran is in contact with Oman, Pakistan, and Qatar to prevent escalation, and these contacts are ongoing.
Baghaei said Tehran will use all necessary means to ensure its national interests and security.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan's readiness to act as a mediator for regional peace.
Pakistani, Qatari and Egyptian negotiators held mediatory talks with the US and Iran toward de-escalation.
The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, according to TASS reports.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike, as reported by TASS.
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June, which provided for an immediate ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon.
On July 8, the US resumed large-scale strikes on Iran, accusing it of violating bilateral agreements, in particular regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

Context

The reports describe a timeline of conflict and diplomacy. According to TASS, the war began on February 28, leading to the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding, and subsequent talks were held in Switzerland's Burgenstock, with Qatar and Pakistan mediating. The mediators' joint statement after the first round of talks said the meeting was positive and constructive, yielding promising progress and setting the groundwork for further technical consultations.

However, on the night of July 8, the US resumed large-scale strikes on Iran, accusing it of violating previous agreements. In response, Iran struck US military facilities in the region, and the latest reports indicate that CENTCOM launched another wave of strikes on Iranian soil, while Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had destroyed US military facilities in Kuwait.

Perspectives

Iran's diplomatic stance

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson emphasized ongoing contacts with regional mediators and the intention to prevent escalation, while also asserting that Tehran will use all necessary means to protect its interests and security.

Pakistan's mediatory role

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed readiness to continue mediating, highlighting the importance of restraint, dialogue, and diplomacy for regional peace.

US military actions

US Central Command reported launching strikes against targets in Iran, citing Iran's alleged violations of agreements, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian military response

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it successfully destroyed US military facilities in Kuwait, in response to US strikes.

How this outlet told it

TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 9:30 AM UTC

Framing: Iran's diplomatic efforts — Neutral

Facts Included:

Iran maintains contact with Oman, Pakistan, and Qatar to prevent escalation
Iran will use all necessary means to ensure national interests and security

Read the source article →

TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 7:00 AM UTC

Framing: US-Iran conflict and mediatory efforts — Informative

Facts Included:

Pakistani, Qatari, and Egyptian negotiators held mediatory talks with the US and Iran
US launched a war against Iran on February 28
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike
US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June
US resumed large-scale strikes on Iran on July 8

Read the source article →

TASS — English as of Jul 10, 2026, 9:30 PM UTC

Framing: Pakistan's mediatory role — Constructive

Facts Included:

Pakistan is ready to continue mediatory efforts to settle the US-Iran conflict
US launched a war against Iran on February 28
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike
US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June
US resumed large-scale strikes on Iran on July 8

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimIran maintains contact with Oman, Pakistan, and Qatar to prevent escalation. The task facing the mediators is to prevent any escalation of tensions, and Iran has maintained contact with Qatar, Oman, and Pakistan over the past few days, and these contacts are ongoing.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 9:30 AM UTC
ClaimIran will use all necessary means to ensure national interests and security.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 9:30 AM UTC
ClaimPakistani, Qatari, and Egyptian negotiators held mediatory talks with the US and Iran toward de-escalation between the two countries.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 7:00 AM UTC
ClaimThe United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 7:00 AM UTC
ClaimSupreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 7:00 AM UTC
ClaimThe US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 7:00 AM UTC
ClaimThe United States resumed large-scale strikes on Iran on July 8.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jul 13, 2026, 7:00 AM UTC
ClaimPakistan is ready to continue its mediatory efforts to settle the conflict between Tehran and Washington.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jul 10, 2026, 9:30 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

1 outlet · 3 articles consulted: TASS — English 8 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-15