By The South Asia Times

TEHRAN -  Iran said that indirect diplomatic contacts with the United States are continuing through international mediators despite ongoing military confrontation, while insisting it has not violated the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries last month.

Speaking at a news conference in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said messages continue to be exchanged through mediators even as hostilities persist.

"We have been informed by mediators, we have received messages — without going into details — but the main point is that the diplomatic apparatus has been active in recent days and ideas have been conveyed to us by certain mediators," Baqaei said, according to AFP.

His remarks suggest that diplomatic channels remain open despite renewed U.S. airstrikes on Iranian targets and Tehran's retaliatory military operations across the Gulf.

Tehran defends Islamabad MoU

Baqaei rejected suggestions that the text of the Pakistan-mediated agreement was unclear, saying the document contains 14 clauses and leaves "no ambiguity."

"The text of the Memorandum of Understanding is a short text and has 14 clauses," he said, according to Al Jazeera.

He added that responsibility for the future management of the Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran and would be pursued through consultations with Oman and dialogue with other regional states.

"The text is completely clear, and there is no excuse for America to break the treaty," Baqaei said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also defended Tehran's position, saying Iran had not violated any of the 14 provisions of the Islamabad MoU, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

"Today, we are in a state of war, and managing the country with the same usual rules and procedures of the past is no longer possible," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying.

The United States has accused Iran of failing to comply with the agreement, while Tehran argues that renewed U.S. military strikes constituted the first breach of the accord.

Warning over Strait of Hormuz

Baqaei also said Iran would not allow the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy shipping routes, to be used in ways that threaten the country's security.

"We must not allow this waterway to be misused again to threaten Iran's security and national interests," he said, adding that Iran was "determined to take the necessary measures" to safeguard its sovereignty.

The strategic waterway carries roughly one-fifth of global seaborne oil exports and has become a focal point of the latest confrontation between Washington and Tehran.

Military remains on high alert

Separately, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its ground forces remain at the highest level of operational readiness.

In a statement carried by Tasnim and cited by Al Jazeera, the IRGC said its forces rely on modern equipment, continuous training and enhanced operational capabilities to counter any potential U.S. military action.

Deputy Ground Forces Commander Brigadier General Ruhollah Nouri said Iranian forces were prepared to "neutralize any enemy incursion immediately."

Diplomatic efforts continue

The Islamabad MoU was signed on June 17 following negotiations mediated by Pakistan to halt hostilities between the United States and Iran after months of conflict. The agreement outlined a 14-point framework intended to support a ceasefire, reduce tensions and create conditions for broader negotiations.

Although fighting resumed earlier this month after renewed U.S. strikes and Iranian retaliation, officials from both countries have continued exchanging messages through intermediaries, indicating that diplomatic efforts to restore the ceasefire remain active despite continued military operations.