The ambassador attempted to ______ diplomatic ties after the conflict and urged both nations to ______ their strategic objectives.

The correct answer is revive, align.

To find the correct words for the blanks, we must analyze the context and logical flow of the sentence:
"The ambassador attempted to ______ diplomatic ties after the conflict and urged both nations to ______ their strategic objectives."

Step 1: Analyze the first blank
The phrase "after the conflict" indicates that diplomatic ties have been strained or broken. An ambassador's primary role in a post-conflict scenario is to restore, repair, or bring back these relations. Therefore, we need a word that means to restore or make active again.
- revive means to restore to life, consciousness, or vigor. This fits the context perfectly.
- Other options like dismantle, obscure, dismiss, and withhold would further damage or neglect the relationships, which runs counter to the typical goal of diplomacy after a conflict.

Step 2: Analyze the second blank
The second clause describes what the ambassador urges both nations to do regarding their "strategic objectives" in order to maintain peace. To establish stability, the nations need to bring their goals into agreement or cooperation.
- align means to place in a line or bring into agreement/cooperation. Urging nations to align their objectives promotes cooperative diplomatic relations.
- Other options like confuse, isolate, exaggerate, or collide would cause more friction or division, which contradicts the act of restoring ties.

Conclusion:
Combining these analyses, the sentence reads logically as: "The ambassador attempted to revive diplomatic ties after the conflict and urged both nations to align their strategic objectives."