Updated

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is in contact with mediators Pakistan and Qatar but that no negotiations with the United States are currently taking place. The remarks, reported on Friday, come amid stalled ceasefire diplomacy and continued US pressure, including Washington's threats of new economic measures and President Donald Trump's stated intention to declare the Strait of Hormuz US "territory." Araghchi's comments suggest indirect channels remain open even as direct engagement has lapsed. Qatar and Pakistan have both positioned themselves as intermediaries during the conflict, with Islamabad recently signing a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The statement appeared alongside a separate diplomatic row in which Britain condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for describing the UK as an "Islamic republic."