Iran reviews US proposal to end war as Pakistan steps up mediation efforts

Pakistan military chief Asim Munir to travel to Tehran for talks, according to Iranian media reports. Tehran says it is reviewing the latest responses from the United States to its proposal to end the nearly three-month US-Israel war on Iran as mediator Pakistan steps up efforts to achieve progress in the talks that US President Donald Trump has warned are on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said late on Wednesday that the Iranians have “received US views and are reviewing them”, according to the Iranian state agency Nour News. Six weeks after a ceasefire took effect, efforts to bring the war to a permanent end have intensified in recent days as Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is to travel to Tehran on Thursday for “talks and consultations” with Iranian authorities, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran on Wednesday for his second visit in less than a week to discuss Washington’s latest proposal. Pakistan in April hosted the only direct negotiations between US and Iranian officials since the war began on February 28. Munir was at the centre of the talks, which ultimately failed as Iran accused the US of making “excessive demands”. Munir’s announced visit would come a day after Trump warned that talks were on the “borderline” between a deal and the US renewing its attacks on Iran. “Believe me, if we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, DC, on Wednesday. Trump, who has repeatedly set deadlines for Iran to reach a deal only to delay or cancel them, said he was willing to wait a few days to “get the right answers” from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that his ministry was ready for either talks or a return to fighting. “Wherever it is necessary to fight, we will fight, and wherever it is necessary to negotiate, we will negotiate,” he said. “If necessary and if the interests of the system require it, we will be present in the field of diplomacy, dialogue and negotiation with the same determination and strength that the armed forces demonstrate in defending the country.” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned against renewed attacks. “If aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time,” it said in a statement. Iran submitted its latest proposal to the US this week. According to Nour News, the proposal was based on Tehran’s original 14-point proposal, which included demands for Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, reparations for war damage, lifting of sanctions, release of frozen assets and the withdrawal of US troops. Scott Lucas, professor of US and international politics at University College Dublin’s Clinton Institute, said the momentum was on Iran’s side. “Iran has the initiative because it formulated a 14-point proposal and, in doing so, shifted the focus to the Strait of Hormuz rather than the nuclear programme. Iran was using its strongest form of leverage, which put Washington on the defensive. Now, the US is scrambling to bring the nuclear file back to the forefront of negotiations. “The US does not want to find itself in a worse position than it was on February 26 when it walked away from talks. It’s also worth noting that curbs on Iran’s ballistic missile programme are no longer being discussed nor are Tehran’s links to groups such as Hezbollah. “Eventually, I think a settlement will be reached, but we’re dealing with a chaotic and unpredictable president [Trump], so a return to war cannot be ruled out.” Iran has been under a US naval blockade since mid-April, which was launched by Trump in a bid to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept his terms for a deal. The US has boarded at least five vessels since the blockade came into effect. On Wednesday, the US military’s Central Command said a ship was searched and redirected after being suspected of trying to travel to an Iranian port.