Iran has provided Pakistan, which is mediating talks with the United States, with a new proposal for negotiations.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that the Islamic republic handed over the text of its latest plan on the evening of 30 April as part of efforts to end the conflict and advance diplomatic talks with Washington.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in a television interview that “ending the war and establishing a lasting peace” remain Tehran’s top priorities in any engagement with the United States.
While the Foreign Ministry continues diplomatic efforts, radicalised clerics and lawmakers have publicly opposed concessions on key issues, especially the Strait of Hormuz. Senior lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian has labelled the waterway as one of three “red lines,” along with uranium enrichment and the removal of enriched material, that should not be included in any agreement.
IRNA did not provide details of the proposal. However, according to The Guardian, the plan is believed to focus on ending hostilities and opening the Strait of Hormuz, while postponing detailed talks on Iran’s nuclear programme to a later stage.
This comes after US President Donald Trump rejected an earlier Iranian proposal that called for a cessation of hostilities and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz without being tied to nuclear talks. Iranian officials subsequently said they would submit a revised text.
Earlier this week, Trump urged Tehran to “act wisely as soon as possible” and sign the agreement. US officials have said military options will remain on the table if no agreement is reached, while Israel has also signalled it would support renewed strikes if Iran’s nuclear programme continues unchecked.