The Iranian government said on Thursday that it has submitted an updated proposal and received a response from the United States for a potential agreement ending the current military conflict, as a report suggests direct talks could resume as soon as next week.
The Emirati newspaper The National, citing “Arab sources,” claimed on Thursday that Iran and America are working with the government of Pakistan as a mediator to set the parameters for what any future negotiations will discuss.
The administration of President Donald Trump launched the current military campaign, known as “Operation Epic Fury,” in February to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors and has publicly highlighted eliminating Iran’s illicit nuclear program as a major objective. Iran, on the other hand, is seeking to eliminate all American sanctions on its businesses, particularly in the oil sector, and is demanding that America pay “reparations” for the military assets that it destroyed. Iran is the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, funding and otherwise supporting jihadist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and others.
The hostilities, which began in February, are currently in an indefinite state of “ceasefire” that President Trump called after American and Israeli operations killed dozens of senior Iranian regime leaders, including “supreme leader” Ayatollah Khamenei. Trump called off in-person negotiations to permanently end the war in April, however, complaining that what remains of the Iranian regime is too fragmented and that negotiating with it was not possible at the time.
“We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want, but you’re not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing,” Trump reportedly told his negotiators at the time.
Now, The National reported, direct talks could once again occur in the near future. The newspaper’s sources claimed that Iran and America are close to having a “workable agenda” that would allow discussions to be productive.
“They are not drafting a deal, but rather outlining an agenda for negotiations that has the potential to produce a comprehensive agreement,” an anonymous source said. “There are some encouraging and positive signs already emerging.”
The newspaper added that according to reports Iran is now willing to discuss its illicit nuclear program. Iranian officials claim the country is investing in expanding nuclear power for civilian use, but have repeatedly rejected proper inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and have been found to be enriching uranium at rates incompatible with any known civilian use. Trump has repeatedly stated that he opposes any policy that can result in Iran possessing a nuclear weapon and that he will not accept a peace agreement that does not address the nuclear issue.
“The sources said Iran has suggested to the mediators its willingness in principle to suspend its nuclear programme for up to 12 years, subject to unspecified conditions,” The National reported. “The US, they said, wanted the programme suspended for at least 20 years.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed on Wednesday night that mediation through Pakistan continues. He told Iranian state television that Iran presented a new 14-point proposal for talks to the United States and, as of Wednesday, America sent an official response back to Tehran with its position on the proposal.
Baqaei also insisted, according to a translation by the Kurdish outlet Rudaw, that Tehran’s “current focus is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,” which Israel invaded shortly after the beginning of “Operation Epic Fury.”
The Iranian Tasnim News Agency reported this week, citing anonymous sources, that Iran had indeed sent a new round of proposals to Washington via Islamabad. The Tasnim reporting emphasized that the Iranian terror state is demanding “reparations” from America to pay for the missiles, drones, and other military assets the U.S. military destroyed to protect its allies in the region and itself. Those reports omitted any mention of the nuclear issue, however, and cited anonymous sources insisting that Iran would never accept limits on its “right” to uranium enrichment.
The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Thursday that Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was currently in Tehran discussing the situation with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who has led negotiations in the absence of any clear leadership at the top of the Iranian government. Naqvi also reportedly met with Iranian “president” Masoud Pezeshkian, a figurehead previously subordinate to “supreme leader” Ali Khamenei. Following the elimination of Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as the next “supreme leader,” but he has made no public appearances or statements outside of written statements read aloud by broadcasters on state media.
Iranian sources reportedly told the Reuters News Agency on Thursday that the younger Khamenei had commanded the country not to give up any of its enriched nuclear materials.
“The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” one anonymous source said.
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