Iran's foreign ministry said there was no 60-day deadline in its Islamabad understanding with the United States and that it would not set policy under time pressure, spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a briefing, state media reported on August 17.

The remarks distance Tehran from the Western reading of the mid-June memorandum, widely reported as opening a 60-day negotiating window due to lapse on August 17, and signal Iran will not treat the date as a hard cut-off as attacks on Gulf shipping continue.

His comments come as several say back channel groups online say negotiations between Tehran and Washington are ongoing and that the 60-day negotiations.

Baghaei said the text set out that nuclear talks would take place within 60 days, but that no negotiations had begun and that the US had breached the understanding from the outset, so the 60-day question was moot. Iran took decisions based on national interests and its own assessments, not under deadlines, he said.

He said Iran was pursuing through diplomatic channels the case of four Iranian pilots it believes were captured after setting out on what he called a defensive operation against the source of US aggression.

Iran had raised the matter with the International Committee of the Red Cross on March 17 and its embassy had followed up since, he said, adding that the pilots were presumed captured until their status was clarified.

Iran maintained regular contact with Qatar and had conveyed its concerns and considerations, Baghaei said, in response to questions about reports the pilots were being held by Doha. Qatar has rejected Iran's claim that it is holding the pilots, calling the allegation misleading.

On a parliamentary strategic-action plan for security in the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said the ministry had not sent a letter to parliament and respected its decisions, adding that Iran had existing laws on the strait's security and kept current developments under review.

Iran's armed forces were watching every move with open eyes, Baghaei said, and strengthening ties with countries in the region was part of the ministry's work.