Pakistan has delivered Iran a US proposal to end the war, as regional powers step up mediation efforts, but Tehran is still publicly rejecting talks and pressing tougher demands, including the closure of US bases in the Gulf.
The outreach points to a possible diplomatic opening, but also to the distance that still separates Washington and Tehran. Egypt, Qatar, Oman, and Turkey have intensified efforts to prevent the war from widening, even as Iran continues to reject talks publicly and press tougher demands.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty received a call on Wednesday from Massad Boulos, senior adviser to the US president for Arab and African affairs, to discuss de-escalation efforts and ways to prevent further chaos in the region.
Turkey also said it was helping pass messages between Tehran and Washington. Harun Armagan, vice chair for foreign affairs in Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, said Ankara was encouraging de-escalation and direct negotiations, without elaborating.
Pakistan delivers Iran a proposal to stop the war
Reuters cited a senior Iranian source it did not name as saying Pakistan had delivered Iran a US proposal to end the war that broke out in late February. The location of any possible talks remains under discussion, with Turkey and Pakistan both under consideration.
The source did not disclose details of the proposal or whether it was linked to the reported 15-point US plan to end the war, which includes Iran halting support for groups such as Hezbollah and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The US plan calls for a one-month ceasefire during which negotiations would be held on a broader agreement. It also requires Iran to dismantle its nuclear capabilities, permanently renounce any pursuit of a nuclear weapon, stop enriching uranium on its soil, and hand its stockpile of enriched uranium to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The proposal also calls for shutting down Iran’s nuclear facilities, granting the IAEA full and immediate access to all information and locations inside Iran, halting the funding and arming of groups such as Hezbollah, and ensuring the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international shipping.
At a later stage, the plan would also limit the number and range of Iranian ballistic missiles and restrict any future military or missile capabilities to self-defense.
Iran had already rejected those terms in the negotiations that preceded the war and continues to refuse talks, insisting that “America started the war, and Iran will decide when it ends.”
Iran rejects talks and raises its demands
While Tehran continues to rule out new negotiations with the US, The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranian representatives had set tougher terms for returning to ceasefire talks.
Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said on Wednesday that “no direct or indirect talks have taken place between Tehran and Washington,” contradicting President Donald Trump’s statements that Iran was seeking an agreement.
“Based on my information, and contrary to what Trump said, no direct or indirect negotiations have taken place between the two countries so far,” Moghadam said, adding that “friendly countries are trying to prepare the ground for dialogue between Tehran and Washington, which we hope will be fruitful in ending this imposed war.”
Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces Joint Staff, also rejected Trump’s remarks, saying, “No one like us will make a deal with you. Not now. Not ever.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tuesday that Iran had had an extremely bad experience with US diplomacy and did not intend to engage in talks with Washington while its armed forces were focused on defending the country.
The Wall Street Journal also reported on Wednesday that Iranian representatives had told the Trump administration they were demanding more in exchange for returning to the negotiating table to reach a ceasefire.
The newspaper cited informed but unnamed sources as saying the IRGC had strengthened its authority inside Iran’s battered political system and was pressing demands that include shutting all US bases in the Gulf and paying compensation for attacks on Iran.
According to the newspaper, Iran’s demands also include a new regime for the Strait of Hormuz under which Tehran would collect fees from passing ships, guarantees that the war would not resume, an end to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, the lifting of all sanctions on Iran, and the right to keep its missile program without negotiations over limiting it.
Targeting an Israeli power station
On the battlefield, Iran targeted a power station in Hadera in Israel in response to Israeli and US strikes on energy and gas facilities in Isfahan on Tuesday.
The Times of Israel said a missile landed near the power station without causing casualties or damage.
The developments come as the US-Israeli war against Iran enters its 26th day, with the fighting fueling concern over energy supplies, pushing up oil prices, and raising fears of a new wave of global inflation.
