Iran said on Sunday that it had received a response from the United States to its latest proposal for peace talks, signalling a potential diplomatic opening despite ongoing tensions between the two sides.
According to Iranian state media, Washington conveyed its reply via Pakistan to Tehran’s 14-point proposal, which is now under review. There was no immediate confirmation from U.S. or Pakistani officials regarding the response.
“At this stage, we do not have nuclear negotiations,” state media quoted Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying, indicating Tehran’s position that discussions over its nuclear programme should be deferred until after a broader agreement to end the conflict and lift blockades on Gulf shipping.
U.S. President Donald Trump struck a sceptical tone a day earlier, suggesting he was unlikely to accept Iran’s proposal.
“I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years,” he wrote on Truth Social.
While Trump noted on Saturday that he had yet to review the exact wording of the proposal, he reiterated that discussions were ongoing.
“They told me about the concept of the deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now,” he told reporters. Asked whether the United States might resume strikes on Iran, he added: “I don’t want to say that. I mean, I can’t tell that to a reporter. If they misbehave, if they do something bad, right now we’ll see. But it’s a possibility that could happen.”
The diplomatic exchanges come four weeks after the United States and Israel halted a joint bombing campaign against Iran. Although one round of talks has taken place, efforts to organise further negotiations have so far stalled.
A senior Iranian official confirmed that Tehran’s latest proposal prioritises ending the war and resolving disruptions to Gulf shipping before addressing the more complex issue of its nuclear programme.
The official described the sequencing as a deliberate effort to create conditions conducive to a broader agreement.
“Under this framework, negotiations over the more complicated nuclear issue have been moved to the final stage to create a more conducive atmosphere,” the official said.
However, the proposal appears to conflict with Washington’s longstanding demand that Iran accept strict limits on its nuclear activities before any cessation of hostilities.
The United States has called on Tehran to relinquish its stockpile of more than 400 kg of highly enriched uranium, which it says could be used to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran maintains that its programme is peaceful but has indicated a willingness to accept some restrictions in exchange for sanctions relief, similar to commitments made under the 2015 agreement that Trump later abandoned.
Iran’s proposal reportedly includes a range of measures, including the withdrawal of US forces from nearby regions, the lifting of maritime blockades, the release of frozen assets, compensation payments, and an end to hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.
It also proposes a new mechanism to oversee shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic waterway has been at the centre of the conflict, with Iran restricting most shipping traffic for more than two months, significantly disrupting global energy flows.
The United States responded last month by imposing its own blockade on vessels departing Iranian ports.
Domestic political pressures are also mounting for Trump, as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have affected roughly 20% of global oil and gas supplies, contributing to higher fuel prices in the United States ahead of November’s midterm elections.
On Sunday, Trump said the United States would begin efforts to assist stranded vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Describing the initiative as a limited humanitarian measure, he emphasised that it was intended to support neutral countries affected by the Strait closure.
"For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, regional tensions continued to escalate. Israel has reportedly ordered thousands of residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate villages near the border, citing renewed operations against Hezbollah.
The move marks an intensification of a parallel conflict involving Iran-backed forces that has complicated broader peace efforts.
Iran has insisted that any resumption of talks with Washington would require a sustained ceasefire in Lebanon. Although Israel and Lebanon agreed to a truce last month, sporadic fighting has persisted.
