Tehran confirmed on Wednesday that a high-stakes US proposal, delivered through Pakistani mediators, is currently undergoing a rigorous internal assessment.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told the semi-official ISNA news agency that Iran will communicate its final position to Islamabad only after this review process is finalised.
While an Axios report suggested that the two nations are nearing a preliminary agreement to end their conflict, Iranian officials have been quick to temper expectations. ISNA characterised several details of the reported deal as “media speculation,” maintaining that Tehran’s primary objective remains the “complete cessation of the war” rather than a return to the nuclear negotiating table.
The proposed memorandum reportedly aims to declare an immediate end to hostilities and trigger a 30-day window for intensive talks focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting US sanctions.
Despite Axios reporting that the draft includes a temporary moratorium on uranium enrichment and expanded inspections, Iranian sources have insisted that nuclear issues are not under discussion at this stage.
Separately, the Tasnim news agency suggested that Tehran has yet to formally respond because several provisions in the American draft are currently viewed as unacceptable by the Iranian leadership.
This diplomatic manoeuvring follows a week of intense back-and-forth, including Iran’s own “14-point initiative” which Washington previously characterized as having “unreasonable demands.”
The development comes amid heightened tensions, with US President Donald Trump warning that bombing would resume “at a much higher level and intensity” should Tehran fail to agree to a deal.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that the conflict and US blockade could conclude with an agreement, but military action could escalate if negotiations falter. Should Iran “agree to give what has been agreed to” – a prospect he described as “a big assumption” – Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli offensive, would end. Trump added that the US blockade would also “allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran”.
Axios, citing American officials, reported that Washington and Tehran are close to finalising a one-page framework to halt hostilities and “set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations”. The US expects Iran’s response on several key points within the next 48 hours.
A Pakistani official confirmed the accuracy of the Axios report, stating: “We will close this very soon. We are getting close.” Pakistan hosted the war’s only peace talks last month and has continued to serve as mediator, shuttling proposals between the two sides.
While neither the White House, US State Department nor Iranian officials issued an official response, US news channel CNBC quoted a spokesperson from Iran’s foreign ministry as saying Tehran was evaluating a 14-point US proposal.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed hope that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran could be made permanent. Addressing a session of the Ulema Council, he noted that Pakistan’s efforts had focused on securing direct negotiations and a ceasefire – “first it happened, then it was extended, then extended a second time, then a third time” – which had “at least” halted the deaths of several hundred people daily. He added that Pakistani diplomacy was now aimed at cementing a lasting truce.
Meanwhile, military developments have continued to unfold. According to the BBC, Trump announced on Sunday that the US would begin a military operation to “guide” trapped ships out of the Gulf. US Central Command (Centcom) stated that more than 15,000 service members and 100 aircraft would support the plan, dubbed “Project Freedom”.
Iran responded swiftly. In a statement on Monday, Tehran’s central command asserted that Iran maintains full control of the strait and warned it would target “any foreign armed force” attempting to approach or enter.
Centcom later claimed that two US-flagged merchant vessels had “successfully transited” the strait. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed the report as “outright lies” and separately stated it had fired upon “hostile enemy destroyers” after American forces “disregarded” warnings. Centcom denied the Iranian account.
Trump subsequently claimed the US had sunk several Iranian “small boats”, with Centcom adding that helicopters carried out the strikes. Iran offered no comment on the incident.
Shipping company Maersk confirmed to the BBC that one of its vessels exited the Gulf late on Monday evening, accompanied by US military assets. Later that night, Iran’s foreign minister warned the US “should be wary” of being dragged “back into a quagmire”.
On Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told a press conference that the ceasefire was not over and that the shipping lane in the strait was “clear”, adding that Iran was “embarrassed” by the passage of two ships.
That evening, Trump announced a pause to “Project Freedom” on Truth Social, citing “great progress” in talks with Iran. His comments followed an announcement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Operation Epic Fury had concluded.
During this 30-day window, Iranian restrictions on shipping and the US naval blockade would be gradually eased. However, a US official cautioned that if negotiations collapsed, American forces could restore the blockade or resume military action.
Trump’s decision to pause Project Freedom came after the mission failed to significantly restore commercial traffic through the strait while provoking fresh Iranian strikes on vessels and regional targets. On Wednesday, a French shipping company reported that one of its container ships had been struck in the strait the previous day, with injured crew members evacuated.
Speaking during a visit to China on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made no direct reference to Trump’s latest remarks but stated that Tehran was holding out for “a fair and comprehensive agreement”.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping apart from its own since the United States and Israel launched military operations on 28 February. In April, Washington imposed a separate blockade of Iranian ports.
