Iran has received a US 15-point proposal via Pakistan aimed at opening a path toward a ceasefire, a senior Iranian source told Reuters on Wednesday, though the venue for any talks was still under discussion and Tehran publicly denied that negotiations with Washington had begun.
The reported proposal, described by Pakistani and Egyptian officials speaking to the Associated Press, covers sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, curbs on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, stronger International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring and guarantees for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
One Egyptian official described it as a “comprehensive deal,” but said it was being treated only as a basis for further talks, adding that Iranian officials remained “very skeptical” of the Trump administration.
That skepticism has been reinforced by Iran’s public messaging. Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, quoted by state media, said no direct or indirect talks with the United States had taken place, even as he said “friendly countries” were trying to create conditions for dialogue.
An Iranian military spokesman was even more dismissive, mocking Washington’s diplomatic push and saying Iran would never “come to terms” with the United States.
“Do not call your defeat an agreement... Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves? You will see neither your investments in the region nor the former prices of energy and oil again until you understand this: stability in the region is guaranteed by the strong hand of our armed forces,” said the spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Ebrahim Zolfaghari.
The mixed signals come after President Donald Trump said the United States was “in negotiations right now” with Iran and suggested Tehran wanted a deal.
Pakistan has emerged as a possible channel, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying Islamabad was ready to host talks, while Saudi Arabia’s crown prince also discussed Pakistan’s mediation effort with Sharif, according to the AP report.
According to a senior Iranian talking to Reuters on Wednesday, Turkey had also "helped to end the war and either Turkey or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for such talks."
Even as diplomacy stirred, the war showed little sign of pausing. The United States was moving about 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region and deploying two Marine units, while Israel launched new wide-scale strikes and Iran continued attacks on Israel and across the Persian Gulf region.
Israeli officials were described as surprised by the submission of a ceasefire plan, having pushed Trump to keep up military pressure.
Still, major uncertainties remain over who in Iran has the authority to negotiate, what terms Tehran might ultimately accept, and whether any proposal can survive continued fighting.
Reflecting that uncertainty, the Kremlin said on Wednesday it had received no information from Iran about the reported US plan and could not assess the reliability of the reports.
