LAHORE: Iran has made a “multi-layered proposal” to Washington in a bid to break the deadlock in peace talks with the United States, a senior official familiar with the developments said on Sunday.
Although US President Donald Trump has said he remains unsatisfied with Iran’s new proposals to end the conflict in the Middle East, Washington is unlikely to accept any framework that does not include firm guarantees to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
The Iran war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28 has been on hold since April 8, after a round of peace talks was held in Islamabad.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a major sticking point in negotiations, with Iran proposing to reopen the globally vital oil shipping route as part of a ceasefire and the United States insisting that any deal must address Tehran’s nuclear program.
The official told PTI that Iran’s new proposal is a phased de-escalation framework aimed at separating immediate conflict management from a more complex and long-term dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program.
“The first part of the plan focuses on emergency de-escalation measures. Iran has expressed a willingness to reduce tensions in and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz if Washington reciprocates by scaling back its military posture and easing economic pressure, including restrictions affecting Iranian oil exports,” he said.
The official believes Tehran views confidence-building steps as critical before entering substantive negotiations.
“Second, Iran is seeking to decouple the resumption of maritime trade and oil flows from nuclear negotiations, arguing that economic normalization should precede any binding commitments on its nuclear activities,” he said.
“On the third front, Tehran has expressed conditional flexibility on the nuclear front. While reaffirming its position on the right to peaceful nuclear energy, Iran has expressed its willingness to discuss limits on uranium enrichment and strengthening monitoring mechanisms, but only within the context of a broader agreement that guarantees effective lifting of sanctions.”
Another source said Iran was also seeking formal recognition of its nuclear rights within the international framework, along with assurances that any deal would be durable and would not be unilaterally withdrawn.
“The proposal also includes requirements for security guarantees, reflecting Tehran’s high level of concern about the risks of future military operations,” he said, adding that Iran had sought commitments to prevent another attack or escalation by the United States or its regional allies.
Officials have described Pakistan’s role as facilitative rather than substantive, with Islamabad relaying messages and exploring the possibility of hosting indirect talks.
Although formal talks have not yet been scheduled, it is believed that the two sides have not ruled out the possibility of holding contacts in Islamabad if an initial understanding is reached.
President Trump said in response to Iran’s new offer: “Right now, I’m not satisfied with what they’re offering.” When asked why he wasn’t satisfied with Iran’s offer, he said, “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to.”
Trump was asked what he would do if there was no deal but declined to say whether more attacks would be launched.
“Do we want to just blast them out and eliminate them forever, or do we want to try to make a deal? I mean, those are the options,” he said, adding that he was “reluctant” to launch a large-scale offensive.
Trump said Iran had “made progress in the negotiations” but added that there was “huge discord” in the Islamic Republic’s leadership and warned: “I’m not sure they’re going to get there.”
Iranian authorities insist their latest proposal prioritizes a cessation of hostilities and creating space for a broader political process before discussing more contentious issues.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Iran said it was up to the United States whether it wanted to resolve the issue through negotiations or return to war.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibaldi said: “Now, it is in the hands of the United States to choose the path of diplomacy or the path of continued confrontation.”
“To ensure national interests and security, Iran is ready for two paths,” he added.
Pakistan hosted the first round of direct talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad on April 11, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement to end the war.
Last week, Trump indefinitely extended a two-week ceasefire with Iran to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war.
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
