Iran-US peace talks moved forward Sunday after Tehran sent its response to a US proposal through mediator Pakistan, with the initial focus on ending the war, Irna reported.
The Iranian state news agency said the response addressed the phase aimed at ending the war, though it gave no immediate details. The US proposal would formally end the conflict before talks move to more contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
The diplomatic move came after about 48 hours of relative calm following sporadic clashes last week. Hostile drones were detected over several Gulf countries on Sunday, keeping regional security concerns high despite a month-old ceasefire.
The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted two drones coming from Iran, while Qatar condemned a drone attack on a cargo ship arriving from Abu Dhabi in Qatari waters. Kuwait said its air defences handled hostile drones that entered its airspace.
The Strait of Hormuz remained the main pressure point in the conflict. Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the narrow waterway, which carried one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the war.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani discussed Pakistan’s mediation efforts with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Miami on Saturday. Qatar’s foreign ministry said he later told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that using the Strait of Hormuz as a “pressure tool” would deepen the crisis.
Iranian lawmakers are drafting a bill to formalise Iran’s management of the strait, including clauses barring vessels of “hostile states.” Recent days brought the biggest flare-ups near the strait since the Pakistan-mediated ceasefire began.
Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels last month, but a US official familiar with a CIA assessment said Iran may avoid severe economic pressure from the blockade for about four months. A senior intelligence official disputed claims about that assessment, which the Washington Post first reported.
Rubio questioned NATO allies after they declined to send ships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without a full peace deal and an internationally mandated mission. Britain said Saturday it was deploying a warship to the Middle East as France and Britain work on a future safe-transit proposal.
