Iran has not yet reached a final decision one a US proposal delivered through Pakistani mediators, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. Speaking to Iran’s official IRNA news agency, Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that the US plan remains under review and that no formal response has been given to Washington.
Baghaei told the Iranian Students' News Agency, ISNA, that Iran is still studying what he called “messages” from the United States. Once its internal review is complete, Tehran will share its conclusions with the Pakistani side, which has served as the main go-between since hostilities began in late February.
“Iran has not yet reached a final conclusion, and no response has been given to the American side,” Baghaei said, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. He added that the public would be informed once a decision is made.
The diplomatic back-and-forth comes weeks after a fragile ceasefire took hold on April 8. The truce, also brokered by Pakistan, halted large-scale military operations that had erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iranian cities. The attacks killed then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders, and civilians. Iran retaliated with waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel and US assets across the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
The first round of formal peace talks was held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12 but ended without a deal. Since then, Pakistan has continued to shuttle proposals between the two sides. Iran submitted a 14-point counterproposal in late April, to which Washington replied early this month.
Baghaei stated that the most urgent foreign policy matter facing Iran is the war, the ceasefire, and efforts to restore regional peace and stability. He noted that recent discussions with Pakistani officials had centered on Iran's 14-point framework, which had already been transmitted to Washington through Pakistan.
Neither side has officially released details of the US proposal now under review. Reports by Axios have suggested that the two countries may be moving toward a one-page memorandum of understanding that would declare an end to the war and launch a 30-day negotiation track. That track would cover the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear program, and sanctions relief. Iranian officials have dismissed the Axios report as media speculation. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's national security committee, described it as “a US wish list rather than reality.”
Pakistan's government has signaled cautious optimism about the talks. Two Pakistani sources familiar with the mediation told Anadolu news agency that Islamabad expects to host a second round of negotiations next week and that 80 to 85 percent of the issues between the two sides have already been settled. The core dispute over Iran's nuclear program remains the main obstacle.
The nuclear question has been a persistent sticking point. Iran has pushed to defer discussion of its nuclear activities to a later stage, while the United States insists the issue must be part of any permanent ceasefire. Iranian media have reported that nuclear matters are not under discussion at this stage.
Friction over the Strait of Hormuz also continues. The strategic waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passes, has been largely closed since the war began. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced a temporary pause in "Project Freedom," an American operation to escort commercial ships through the strait, citing Pakistan's request and progress toward a possible deal. He warned, however, that bombing would resume “at a much higher level and intensity” if no agreement is reached.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps navy said separately that it expects “safe and stable” passage through the strait under new protocols it has introduced. International benchmarks Brent and West Texas Intermediate both fell below $100 a barrel after Trump's announcement, reflecting market hopes that diplomacy could ease supply disruptions.
A regional source earlier told CNN that Tehran was expected to hand over its reply to mediators on Thursday. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country had worked continuously to extend the ceasefire and bring both sides to the negotiating table, calling it the first direct communication channel between Washington and Tehran in nearly five decades.