The US authorities were the first to approach Iran with a proposal to resume negotiations and conveyed a message about the cessation of combat operations against the Islamic republic, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has stated. "The Americans approached us with a proposal for negotiations. In addition, through Oman, they conveyed a message to us that they would no longer take military action against us," he said on Iranian state television. According to the diplomat, Tehran had not made any requests to Washington during the last two weeks of escalation and was prepared to continue exchanging strikes. Tehran retaliated by attacking US facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Oman.