Iran has sent a revised proposal to the United States to restart stalled negotiations, showing more flexibility and willingness for talks.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Iran is ready to resume talks in Pakistan as early as next week if Washington gives a positive response.
Four weeks after the US and Israel stopped their bombing campaign against Iran, no agreement has been reached to officially end the conflict, which caused major disruption to global energy supplies.
Iran has been blocking most shipping from the Gulf, except its own vessels, for more than two months. Last month, the Trump administration also imposed a blockade on ships from Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump said on Friday he was “not satisfied” with Iran’s latest proposal.
“They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to,” he told reporters at the White House.
The US has repeatedly said it will not end the war without a deal that stops Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.
The report said the new Iranian proposal offers talks on Tehran’s conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz at the same time as US guarantees to stop attacks and remove the blockade on Iranian ports.
This is a change from Iran’s earlier position, where it wanted the blockade removed and an agreement to end the war before wider talks could begin.
The proposal also suggests that talks on Iran’s nuclear programme could happen later in exchange for relief from US sanctions.
Iran has informed mediators that it is ready for talks in Pakistan by early next week if the US accepts the new proposal.
Iranian state media confirmed that the proposal had been sent to mediators and said Tehran remains open to diplomacy if Washington softens its language.
The White House did not discuss details of the proposal. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said:
“We do not detail private diplomatic conversations. President Trump has been clear that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and negotiations continue to ensure the short- and long-term national security of the United States.”
Despite the new proposal, Iran says it is not ready to make major concessions on its nuclear programme.
The US continues to demand that Iran suspend uranium enrichment for up to 20 years and hand over its stockpile of highly enriched material, which Tehran has rejected.
Even during tensions, both sides have stayed in indirect contact through mediators including Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye.
