Iran's deputy foreign minister said on Saturday that no timeline has been agreed for the next round of Iran-U.S. peace talks brokered by Pakistan, as tensions flared again over Strait of Hormuz.
"Until we agree on the framework, we cannot set the date," Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on the sidelines of an annual Turkish diplomatic forum in the southern province of Antalya.
"We hope that as soon as we can finalize that, then we can move on to the next step".
Khatibzadeh said both sides were currently focused on finalizing a framework of understanding before proceeding with further negotiations.
"We do not want to enter into any negotiation or meeting that is destined to fail and could serve as a pretext for another round of escalation," he said.
"I can assure you that Iran is very much committed to diplomacy".
Pakistan's powerful military chief and prime minister concluded separate visits aimed at ending the Iran war, with Field Marshal Asim Munir leaving Tehran and premier Shehbaz Sharif headed home from Türkiye.
Munir met Iran's top leadership and peace negotiators during a three-day visit to Tehran, a Pakistani military statement said.
Egypt and Pakistan were working "very hard" as mediators to bring about "a final agreement between the United States and Iran", Egypt's foreign minister told journalists at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
Egypt and Türkiye has joined diplomatic efforts with Pakistan to help secure a ceasefire in the conflict.
"We hope to do so (reach an agreement) in the coming days," Badr Abdelatty said, noting that "not only us in the region, but the whole world is suffering from the continuation of this war".
"We are pushing very hard in order to move forward," he said.
Iran dismissed U.S. threats of fresh military action, with the senior Iranian official saying that Washington's statements were inconsistent.
"The American side tweets a lot, talks a lot. Sometimes confusing, sometimes, you know, contradictory," Khatibzadeh said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump and his frequent social media posts.
"It is up to the American people to decide whether these statements are consistent and in accordance with international law," he added.
Khatibzadeh said Iran's position was clear and vowed resistance to pressure from Washington.
"What we are going to do is quite clear. We will defend heroically and patriotically (our country)... as the oldest civilization on earth," he said.
The deputy minister also rejected U.S. accusations that Iran was threatening freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments, after Iran's military again declared the waterway closed.
"Americans cannot impose their will to do a siege over Iran while Iran, with good intention, is trying to facilitate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Khatibzadeh said.
He said Iran had announced safe passage for commercial vessels for the duration of Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, provided there was prior coordination with Iranian maritime authorities.
However, Khatibzadeh accused Washington of attempting to "sabotage" those efforts.
"If ceasefire terms are violated and Americans do not honor their commitments, there will be repercussions for them," he said.
