Pakistan has delivered a proposal from the United States to Iran, and either Pakistan or Turkey could be venues for discussions to de-escalate the war in the Gulf, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The comments, by an official speaking on condition of anonymity, were among the few signs that Tehran was willing to consider diplomatic proposals, despite having denied in public that it would negotiate with the administration of President Donald Trump.
The Iranian source did not disclose details of the proposal passed on by Pakistan, or whether it was the same as a 15-point US proposal that has been reported by news outlets including Reuters. The source said Turkey had also "helped to end the war and either Turkey or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for such talks".
Oil prices fell and battered shares recovered on Wednesday after reports that the US had sent the 15-point plan to Iran, with investors hoping for an end to nearly four weeks of war that has killed thousands and disrupted global energy supplies.
Also Read: US sends Iran 15-point plan to end Middle East war
A source familiar with the matter had confirmed on Tuesday to Reuters that the plan had been sent to Iran.
Three Israeli cabinet sources said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet had been briefed on the proposal, which they said includes removing Iran's stocks of highly enriched uranium, halting enrichment, curbing its ballistic missile programme and ending funding for regional allies.
Pakistan’s role in mediation
Pakistan has emerged as a central diplomatic channel in efforts to de-escalate tensions between the United States and Iran.
According to reports, Islamabad has initiated efforts to bring both countries to the negotiating table, with the draft ceasefire plan delivered through Pakistan.
The New York Times also reported that the US used Pakistan as an intermediary to send the 15-point plan to Tehran.
Mixed signals on direct talks
Despite confirmation of the draft, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan stated that there are currently no direct talks between Tehran and Washington. However, he acknowledged that friendly countries like Pakistan are actively working to facilitate dialogue and create an environment conducive to negotiations.
He expressed hope that these diplomatic efforts would help bring an end to the war.
According to Iranian media, the US proposal includes major demands such as ending Iran’s nuclear program, limiting its missile capabilities, and restoring maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Also Read: Trump claims Iran ready for deal, says US ‘changed regime’
In response, Tehran has outlined six conditions for entering talks. These include the removal of all US military bases and compensation for losses suffered during the war.
Turkey playing role passing messages
Pakistan has already offered to host talks to be attended by senior US officials as soon as this week. A senior ruling party official in Turkey, Harun Armagan, told Reuters on Wednesday that Ankara was "playing a role passing messages" between Iran and the US
But so far there has been no public recognition from Iran that it is willing to negotiate at all, while its assertions that it would not do so have become increasingly caustic.
"Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you negotiating with yourself?" the top spokesperson for Iran's joint military command, Ebrahim Zolfaqari, taunted Trump in comments on Iranian state TV.
"People like us can never get along with people like you," he said. "As we have always said ... no one like us will make a deal with you. Not now. Not ever."
Also Read: Gulf crisis: FO urges media to avoid speculation
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Beghaei, appearing on television in India, noted that nuclear talks had already been under way when Trump attacked, which he called "a betrayal of diplomacy" that made further talks pointless.
There are "no talks or negotiations between Iran and the United States", he said. "No one can trust United States diplomacy. Our position is clear on what they have claimed. Right now our brave military is focused on defending Iran's territory and sovereignty against this brutal and illegal war."
A senior Israeli defence official said Israel was sceptical Iran would agree to the terms, and that Israel was concerned that the terms were only starting points for negotiations, during which US negotiators might make concessions.
US 15-point plan
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief, has become the main interlocutor between the United States and Iran. He maintains close ties with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, enabling him to communicate sensitive proposals, including hosting potential talks in Pakistan.
Also Read: US pushes Iran talks while weighing ground operation
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif affirmed his country’s support on social media, stating Pakistan is “ready and honoured to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” if both sides agree. Egypt and Turkey are reportedly encouraging Iran to engage constructively.
Broad outlines of 15-point plan
Officials briefed on the plan say it addresses:
- Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, including dismantling Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow nuclear facilities
- A halt to enrichment of nuclear material on Iranian soil
- Suspension of funding for regional proxy groups
- Establishment of a free maritime corridor in the Strait of Hormuz to secure global oil and gas flows
- A potential ceasefire, possibly for one month, to allow detailed negotiations
Iranian conditions for ceasefire
Iran has reportedly set its own conditions, including guarantees against future attacks, compensation for war-related losses, and full control over the Strait of Hormuz. Senior Iranian officials also emphasize they will not limit their missile program.
Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader, underscored that the United States and its allies must account for the destruction caused during the war and avoid interference in Iran’s internal affairs.
Strikes on Iran and Israel
Nearly four weeks into the war that has killed thousands, there was no let-up in air attacks against Iran, or in Iranian drone and missile strikes against Israel and US allies.
The Israeli military said in a Telegram post it had launched a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran. It later said its air force had struck two naval cruise missile production sites in Tehran.
The semi-official Iranian SNN News Agency said the strikes hit a residential area in the city, with rescuers searching the rubble.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia said they had repelled fresh drone attacks. Drones targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a fire but no casualties, Kuwait's Civil Aviation Authority said.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had launched a new wave of attacks against locations in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona, as well as US bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, Iranian state media reported.
Since the start of 'Operation Epic Fury' by the US in February, Iran has attacked countries that host US bases and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.
Iran has told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organization that "non-hostile vessels" may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities. In practice, however, only Iran's own oil and a handful of ships from friendly countries have made it through.
