Pakistan relays fresh Iranian peace proposal to the United States

Pakistan has conveyed a new Iranian peace proposal to the United States as efforts to stabilise the Middle East war continue to stall. The proposal was passed on through Islamabad, which has been carrying messages between Tehran and Washington since hosting the only round of peace talks last month. The latest exchange comes as a fragile ceasefire remains in place after six weeks of war following US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

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A Pakistani source said the sides were still struggling to narrow their differences and warned that time was short. The source said the two sides "keep changing their goalposts", adding: "We don't have much time." Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, confirmed that Iran's views had been conveyed to the American side through Pakistan, but did not give details. Washington did not immediately comment on the latest proposal.

According to an Iranian source, the proposal would prioritise ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting maritime sanctions before more contentious issues are addressed. The same source said the United States had agreed to release a quarter of Iran's frozen funds, which were described as totalling tens of billions of dollars and held in foreign banks. Iran wants all of the assets released.

The source also said Washington had shown more flexibility over allowing Iran to continue some peaceful nuclear activity under supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The talks matter because they touch on several issues with wider regional and global consequences. The Strait of Hormuz is a major oil supply route and normally carries about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.

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Any change to access through the waterway could affect energy markets and shipping far beyond the immediate conflict zone. The negotiations also remain tied to sanctions relief and Iran's nuclear programme, both of which have been central points of dispute between Tehran and Washington. The latest proposal appears to build on earlier exchanges that have not yet produced a breakthrough.

The Iranian source said the new offer was similar in many respects to a previous proposal that US President Donald Trump rejected last week as "garbage". The same source said the US had also shown more flexibility on peaceful nuclear activity, while an Iranian news agency separately reported that oil sanctions might be waived during negotiations. Iranian officials did not immediately comment on that report.

What remains unclear is whether the latest message will lead to any change in the stalled talks or whether the sides will continue to harden their positions. It is also not clear how far Washington is prepared to go on frozen funds, sanctions relief or nuclear supervision. For now, Pakistan remains a key intermediary, but the immediate outlook for a deal appears uncertain.

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