Mediators are scrambling to secure a truce between the US regime and Iran, hoping to interrupt a cycle of retaliation that is becoming deadlier and increasingly likely to spill into a wider regional conflict, according to experts.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed on Monday that mediators were actively trying to prevent further escalation, although he declined to divulge details.

Axios reported that Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan and other regional mediators have presented both the US regime and Iran with a proposal for a 10-day halt in fighting to revive an interim memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreed last month. The plan also seeks to reopen commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

However, the diplomatic push comes as the US regime and Iran appear to be moving in the opposite direction. In recent days, the conflict has expanded beyond military targets, with strikes increasingly hitting civilian infrastructure.

US President Donald Trump has promised Iran will “pay” after the killing of several US troops, while Iran has stepped up attacks on shipping and targets across the region.

Simon Mabon, professor of international relations at Lancaster University, said the MoU initially succeeded in reducing fighting due to its deliberate vagueness, but that flexibility allowed both sides to interpret it in their favor. “Any new agreement would need clearer commitments,” he said.

Analysts warn the conflict could expand beyond the Gulf. Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi ports, threatening regional energy infrastructure and some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Source: www.aljazeera.com