NEW YORK, July 27. /TASS/. Mediators working on a peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict have made progress in getting the US and Iran back to the negotiating table, the Associated Press (AP) news agency reported.

According to it, a Middle Eastern official described the progress as significant. A mediation group headed by Qatar and Pakistan is working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran to return to the previously agreed ceasefire. Moreover, discussions are underway with Iran and Oman to establish a mechanism to ensure safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest escalation of the US-Iran conflict began on July 8, when the United States carried out strikes on Iran for the first time since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding. The US claimed the attack was in retaliation for a strike on a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump announced the same day that the ceasefire with Iran was over. Tehran responded by targeting US facilities across the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. The parties halted exchanges of strikes on July 24.