Iran has sent Washington a 14-point reply to a U.S. proposal for ending the war, passing it through a Pakistani intermediary, Iranian state media reported on Saturday. Tasnim news agency carried the report. President Donald Trump said he would review the plan soon, then added that he “can’t imagine that it would be acceptable.”
What Tehran is asking for
The Iranian document answers a nine-point American proposal. Washington had floated a two-month ceasefire. Tehran, according to Tasnim, wants the issues settled within 30 days and insists that diplomacy aim at the “termination of the war” instead of stretching out a truce.
Reports on its contents list a long set of demands:
- an end to the war “on all fronts, including Lebanon”
- guarantees against military aggression
- withdrawal of U.S. forces from the area around Iran
- release of frozen Iranian assets and removal of sanctions
- a “new mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz”
TRT World, relaying the Tasnim report, added that the demands include lifting the naval blockade and paying compensation. It described the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas, as blocked since the conflict began on February 28.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, quoted by state broadcaster IRIB, said the plan was “aimed at the permanent end” of the conflict. “Now the ball is in the United States’ court to choose either the path of diplomacy or continuation of a confrontational approach,” he said. Iranian officials have not discussed the details in public.
Trump’s reaction
Trump told reporters he was not satisfied. “They want to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied with it,” he said. “They’ve made strides, but I’m not sure if they ever get there… They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to.”
He also said he had been briefed on possible military action. “Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them… or do we want to try and make a deal? Those are the options,” Trump said. On a human basis, he said, he would rather not bomb, but Iran must be kept from getting nuclear weapons. He called the talks complicated and suggested Iranian leaders were “not getting along with each other.”
Reports suggest the sides disagree on order of business. Washington is said to want firm commitments on Iran’s nuclear program at the outset, while Tehran is reported to prefer an order that eases military and economic pressure first.
The ceasefire so far
The exchange comes during a fragile ceasefire in place since early April. Pakistan mediated that truce and arranged peace talks in Islamabad. The fighting before it began on February 28, with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.
Sources
- Tehran submits 14-point counter-proposal to US through Pakistani intermediary to end regional conflict
- TRT World – Iran submits 14-point response to US proposal on ending war via Pakistan — report
