By Gloria Ogbonna
The Iranian government announced on Thursday that it has submitted an updated proposal to the United States and received an official response from Washington regarding a possible agreement aimed at ending the current military conflict between the two nations.
The development comes amid growing reports that direct negotiations between Tehran and Washington could resume as early as next week, signaling a potentially important turning point after months of intense military confrontation across the Middle East.
According to the Emirati newspaper The National, which cited unnamed Arab diplomatic sources, both Iran and the United States are currently working through the government of Pakistan to establish the framework and agenda for future peace negotiations.
The reported diplomatic activity follows months of escalating conflict that began in February when the administration of Donald Trump launched a major military campaign known as “Operation Epic Fury.”
The operation was designed to weaken Iran’s military capabilities and reduce its ability to threaten neighboring countries and American allies in the region. U.S. officials repeatedly stated that one of the central objectives of the campaign was dismantling Iran’s controversial nuclear program, which Western governments have long feared could eventually produce nuclear weapons.
Iran, however, has focused its demands on the removal of American economic sanctions, especially restrictions targeting its oil exports and financial system. Iranian officials are also reportedly demanding financial “reparations” for military infrastructure, missiles, drones, and other assets destroyed during American and Israeli operations.
Iran remains widely accused by Western governments of supporting militant organizations across the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Although large-scale hostilities have slowed in recent weeks, the conflict technically remains under an open-ended ceasefire announced by President Trump after coordinated American and Israeli strikes reportedly killed dozens of senior Iranian officials and military leaders, including Iran’s longtime “supreme leader,” Ali Khamenei.
Negotiations to formally end the war were suspended in April after Trump reportedly expressed frustration with the fragmented state of Iran’s remaining leadership structure.
“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 negotiating team at the time.
Despite that breakdown, new diplomatic efforts now appear to be reviving hopes for direct talks.
Sources cited by The National claimed that both sides are moving closer to establishing what officials described as a “workable agenda” capable of supporting meaningful negotiations.
“They are not drafting a deal, but rather outlining an agenda for negotiations that has the potential to produce a comprehensive agreement,” one anonymous source reportedly said. “There are some encouraging and positive signs already emerging.”
One of the most significant reported developments involves Iran’s willingness to discuss restrictions on its nuclear activities.
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program exists solely for peaceful civilian purposes such as energy production. However, international concerns have intensified over Tehran’s refusal to fully cooperate with inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and evidence showing Iran enriching uranium at levels far beyond what is typically required for civilian nuclear energy programs.
President Trump has repeatedly stated that he would never accept a peace agreement that fails to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions or leaves open the possibility of Tehran eventually obtaining nuclear weapons.
According to The National, Iranian officials have reportedly signaled a willingness “in principle” to suspend parts of the nuclear program for as long as 12 years, although the proposal remains subject to unspecified conditions.
The report added that American negotiators are pushing for a significantly longer suspension period of at least 20 years.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed on Wednesday that mediation efforts involving Pakistan remain active.
Speaking to Iranian state television, Baqaei said Tehran had delivered a new 14-point proposal to Washington and that the United States had officially responded to the offer as of Wednesday.
He also stated that Iran’s immediate priority is “ending the war on all fronts,” including the conflict in Lebanon, where Israeli military operations expanded shortly after the launch of Operation Epic Fury.
Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that Tehran’s proposals sent through Islamabad included demands for compensation from the United States for military losses suffered during the conflict.
According to the report, Iranian officials continue to insist that the country will never surrender what it calls its sovereign “right” to enrich uranium.
Pakistan has emerged as a central intermediary in the negotiations.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported Thursday that Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was in Tehran holding discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who has reportedly taken a leading role in negotiations amid uncertainty surrounding Iran’s current leadership.
Naqvi also reportedly met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during his visit.
Following the reported death of Ali Khamenei during the conflict, Iranian state media announced that his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, would assume the position of supreme leader. However, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly since the announcement, with only written statements attributed to him being read by state broadcasters.
Additional reports published Thursday by Reuters suggested that Iran’s new leadership remains firmly opposed to surrendering the country’s enriched uranium stockpile.
According to anonymous Iranian sources cited in the report, Mojtaba Khamenei has instructed officials not to allow any enriched nuclear material to leave the country under future agreements.
“The Supreme Leader’s directive, and the consensus within the establishment, is that the stockpile of enriched uranium should not leave the country,” one source reportedly stated.
The latest diplomatic developments highlight the fragile and highly complex nature of the negotiations now unfolding behind the scenes.
While both sides appear willing to reopen discussions, deep disagreements remain over sanctions relief, uranium enrichment, nuclear inspections, regional security, and the future balance of power in the Middle East.
Even so, diplomats and international observers say the renewed exchange of proposals may represent the most serious opportunity for a broader settlement since the conflict erupted earlier this year.
Source: Breitbart
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