TEHRAN/DOHA/WASHINGTON – Iran said Sunday it has halted retaliatory attacks after the United States stopped its strikes on the country for the past two nights.

"These attacks continued until two nights ago, but over the past two nights the Americans have stopped their attacks," Iran's army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the United States is exchanging messages with Iran through mediators, including Pakistan and Qatar, according to Iranian media reports, citing his remarks in an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF.

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Baghaei stressed in the interview that for any dialogue to be formed, the "proper ground" must be prepared, noting that the United States has destroyed such a ground, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

He accused Washington of violating "all its provisions" in practice under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States.

The spokesman said Iran's current priority "is to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and protect its people against the war crimes that are being perpetrated by the United States".

Under the MoU signed on June 18, the United States and Iran were scheduled to hold talks within a period of 60 days to reach a final agreement, but the talks' fate is hanging in the balance following renewed clashes between the two over the past two weeks.

Qatari PM, Saudi foreign minister discuss de-escalation

Also on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the latest regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions.

Sheikh Mohammed stressed the need to adhere to dialogue and diplomacy, implement the US-Iran peace MoU, and ensure the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard regional security and stability, according to a statement issued by Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also reaffirmed Qatar's full support for all efforts aimed at easing tensions and reaching a comprehensive agreement to achieve lasting peace in the region, the statement read.

The two ministers also reviewed bilateral ties and discussed ways to deepen cooperation, it added.

Pentagon: Over 200 US troops wounded

Meanwhile, four US service members have been killed and 207 others have been wounded since the US military resumed hostilities against Iran in July, according to military casualty statistics updated by the Department of Defense on Sunday.

According to the Pentagon's Defense Casualty Analysis System, as of July 25, the US military operation "Epic Fury" against Iran had resulted in 14 US military personnel killed and 417 wounded.

The database recently added a new "Overseas Operations" tracking category, which separately compiles US military casualties since July 7, listing four deaths and 207 wounded. However, this new category only lists the names of the deceased and does not provide specific details such as the time, location, or cause of the casualties.

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Although all four deceased have been confirmed to have died in the new round of US-Iran conflict, the US Department of Defense has not yet confirmed whether all the wounded personnel are related to the US-Iran conflict.

Under US law, the president generally may not engage US forces in hostilities for more than 60 days without congressional authorization. According to media reports, the Trump administration sent a letter to Congress on July 10 stating that Iran's attack on three merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on July 7 violated a previous ceasefire arrangement. Based on this, the White House defined July 7 as the start date of a new round of hostilities with Iran.