Washington: A US-Iran agreement to end the war appeared closer Wednesday after Pakistani mediators gave Washington positive signals and Tehran said it was reviewing a US proposal, according to officials and regional sources.
President Donald Trump said the United States had held “very good talks” with Iran over the past 24 hours, while warning that bombing would resume at a higher intensity if Tehran rejected a deal.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told Iranian media that Tehran was still reviewing the US plan and would convey its position to Pakistan after finalising its view.
Reuters, citing a Pakistani source familiar with the negotiations, reported that the two sides were closing in on a one-page memorandum to end the Gulf war and open a new negotiation period.
The proposed document would declare an end to the war and trigger 30 days of talks on unresolved issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme, frozen Iranian assets and security in the Strait of Hormuz.
The plan under discussion includes a uranium enrichment moratorium of more than 10 years and a requirement for Iran to ship its highly enriched uranium stockpile out of the country, though the details remain under negotiation.
The White House received positive feedback from Pakistani mediators on Tuesday, but Trump administration officials cautioned that previous rounds had collapsed at the last minute.
The diplomatic push also came as the US paused “Project Freedom,” an operation linked to escorting stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz, after signs of progress in negotiations.
The Associated Press reported that US forces fired on an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman during the ceasefire period, underscoring the risk of renewed escalation even as talks continued.
China urged Iran to pursue diplomacy and reopen shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while Beijing hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi before Trump’s expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
