Iran Says Received US Response to Its Proposal to End War

Iranian authorities said on Wednesday they had received an official United States response to Tehran’s proposal for ending the Middle East war, days after President Donald Trump publicly rejected the plan.

Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said US proposals were presented to President Masoud Pezeshkian by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a cabinet meeting, according to state news agency IRNA.

She did not disclose the contents of Washington’s response.

“At today’s cabinet meeting, the American side’s proposal was presented to President Masoud Pezeshkian by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,” Mohajerani said. 

The development comes after indirect talks between the United States and Iran resumed last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, following seven months of conflict.

Tehran has outlined seven conditions for ending hostilities and reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipments.

The conflict began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, after which Tehran imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. Washington subsequently responded with a blockade of Iranian ports.

Although Iran has not made all its conditions public, its demands include a ceasefire across the Middle East, including Lebanon, where its ally Hezbollah has been fighting Israeli forces.

Tehran is also seeking the release of frozen Iranian assets abroad, the removal of sanctions on its oil sector and an end to the US naval blockade.

Trump rejected the proposal publicly on Saturday, but Iranian officials had been waiting for a formal response delivered through Qatari mediators.

Fighting has eased in recent weeks, although Iran has continued targeting vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday that its forces had been targeting smaller vessels attempting to cross the waterway.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said the forces had been preventing such vessels from passing and claimed the United States had not retaliated against the attacks for some time.

Meanwhile, Washington has intensified economic pressure on Tehran, including sanctions targeting Iranian airlines and warnings against foreign companies providing assistance to them.