Iran says it’s mulling latest U.S. peace proposal amid tense negotiations
Iran says it’s mulling latest U.S. peace proposal, carefully reviewing the potential deal in a bid to officially end the nearly three-month war that has sent global fuel prices soaring to unprecedented heights. According to state media broadcasts in Tehran, the Iranian government is currently evaluating the latest responses from the United States regarding its own extensive framework to conclude the devastating US-Israel military campaign against the Islamic Republic.
As the world watches anxiously, mediator Pakistan is urgently stepping up its diplomatic efforts to achieve tangible progress in these high-stakes negotiations. The diplomatic push comes at a highly volatile moment, directly following stark warnings from US President Donald Trump, who declared that the two nations are teetering on the “borderline” between a historic peace agreement and a catastrophic resumption of widespread military strikes.
The Latest Proposal and the Push for Diplomatic Negotiations
The confirmation that Iran says it’s mulling latest U.S. peace proposal came late on Wednesday via official channels. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced that Iranian officials have formally “received US views and are reviewing them.” This statement, first reported by the Iranian state agency Nour News, injects a glimmer of hope into a geopolitical crisis that has severely disrupted international trade and security.
It has been exactly six weeks since a fragile ceasefire took effect, temporarily halting the relentless waves of US and Israeli airstrikes that began on February 28. During this tense pause, efforts to bring the war to a permanent, negotiated end have intensified significantly. Regional intermediaries are working around the clock to prevent a breakdown in communications that would inevitably plunge the Middle East back into active conflict.
Pakistan Steps Up as a Crucial Mediator for Iran
Because diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran are non-existent, the role of third-party mediators has never been more vital. Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is scheduled to travel to Tehran on Thursday for intensive “talks and consultations” with top Iranian authorities, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency. His arrival signifies a massive push to close the gaps in the ongoing negotiations.
Simultaneously, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran on Wednesday, marking his second high-level visit to the capital in less than a week. Naqvi’s primary objective is to discuss the nuances of Washington’s latest proposal with his Iranian counterparts.
Pakistan has emerged as the central conduit for these indirect talks. In April, Pakistan hosted the only direct negotiations between US and Iranian officials since the war initiated. Field Marshal Munir was at the absolute center of those talks, which ultimately collapsed after Iran vehemently accused the US negotiating team of making “excessive demands” regarding the dismantling of its military infrastructure. With Munir returning to Tehran, there is renewed hope that his established rapport with Iranian leadership might yield a breakthrough.
Trump Warns Negotiations Are on the “Borderline”
The announced visit by Pakistani officials comes just one day after President Donald Trump issued a chilling ultimatum. Trump explicitly warned that the current talks were on the “borderline” between a final, acceptable deal and the US military renewing its devastating 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 a pool of reporters gathered at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, DC, on Wednesday. His rhetoric underscores the immense pressure being placed on the current round of negotiations. Trump, who has repeatedly set firm deadlines for Iran to reach a deal over the past two months—only to strategically delay or cancel those deadlines at the request of Gulf allies—stated that he was willing to wait just a few more days to “get the right answers” from Tehran.
This unpredictable approach to foreign policy keeps both allies and adversaries off balance. By publicly stating that the military is “ready to go,” the President is utilizing the threat of immediate, overwhelming force as his primary lever in the negotiations. Consequently, the fact that Iran says it’s mulling latest U.S. peace proposal is seen by some analysts in Washington as a direct result of this maximum pressure campaign.
Iran Prepares for Both Peace and Renewed Conflict
Despite the looming threat of renewed U.S. strikes, leadership in Tehran remains outwardly defiant, insisting they will not be coerced into signing a heavily skewed agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered a televised address on Wednesday, making it abundantly clear that his ministry—and the country’s armed forces—were equally prepared for either successful talks or a rapid return to brutal fighting.
“Wherever it is necessary to fight, we will fight, and wherever it is necessary to negotiate, we will negotiate,” Araghchi declared. “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.”
This dual-track approach is heavily backed by the country’s military apparatus. Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued its own stark warnings against any renewed American or Israeli attacks. “If aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time,” the IRGC stated in a recently published communiqué. This threat to expand the battlefield potentially encompasses global shipping lanes, international energy infrastructure, and allied bases far beyond the immediate Middle Eastern theater, raising the stakes of the current proposal to a global level.
Inside the 14-Point Proposal and Core Demands
To understand why the negotiations have been so painstakingly slow, one must examine the specific demands on the table. Iran submitted its latest, comprehensive proposal to the US earlier this week. According to detailed reports from Nour News, this new framework was heavily based on Tehran’s original 14-point proposal, which contains several stipulations that Washington has previously deemed non-starters.
The Iranian demands are vast and uncompromising. They include maintaining absolute Iranian control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz—a non-negotiable point for the U.S., which demands international freedom of navigation. Furthermore, Tehran is demanding massive financial reparations for the widespread war damage inflicted by US and Israeli airstrikes on its military bases and industrial sectors.
The proposal also hinges on the immediate and total lifting of all economic sanctions, the unconditional release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets held in foreign banks, and the complete withdrawal of US military troops from the surrounding region.
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The Path Forward: Will the Proposal Survive?
Reconciling Tehran’s sweeping 14-point proposal with Washington’s demand for the total disarmament of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs presents a monumental diplomatic challenge. Because Iran says it’s mulling latest U.S. peace proposal, there is a narrow window of opportunity for intermediaries like Pakistan to find a mutually acceptable middle ground.
If Field Marshal Munir can convince Iranian leadership to soften their demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz and troop withdrawals, a path to de-escalation may emerge. However, if Tehran holds firm to its original 14 points, President Trump has made it exceptionally clear that the ceasefire will be abruptly terminated.
The global economy, already reeling from soaring fuel prices caused by the three-month disruption in the Middle East, hangs in the balance. As the clock ticks down on Trump’s latest deadline, the world waits to see whether the intense negotiations in Tehran will yield a historic peace agreement or plunge the region back into a devastating, expanded war.
References:
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Reuters. (2026, May 21). “Tehran reviews latest U.S. responses to peace proposal as Pakistan steps up mediation.” Reuters World News.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/tehran-reviews-latest-us-responses-peace-proposal-2026-05-21/ -
Al Jazeera English. (2026, May 21). “Iran mulls U.S. peace proposal; Trump warns talks are on the ‘borderline’.” Al Jazeera.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/21/iran-mulls-us-peace-proposal-trump-warns-talks-on-borderline
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