Iran’s top official names key conditions in revised proposal shared with US

TEHRAN: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that Tehran’s revised proposal shared with the United States via Pakistan has called for the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to maritime restrictions, according to the Iranian media, as backchannel efforts to end the conflict show little sign of breakthrough.

Gharibabadi said on Tuesday that the proposal also calls for a broader cessation of hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, the withdrawal of US forces from areas close to Iran, and compensation for wartime damage.

According to IRNA, Tehran’s plan reflects a comprehensive framework aimed at de-escalation while addressing what it sees as core economic and security grievances.

Earlier, a Pakistani source familiar with diplomatic exchanges said that Islamabad had conveyed a revised Iranian proposal to Washington as part of ongoing mediation efforts, but cautioned that negotiations remained stalled amid shifting positions on both sides.

“We don’t have much time,” the source said, adding that both sides were “changing their goalposts,” complicating efforts to bridge gaps.

The reported exchange comes as Iran and the United States continue indirect contacts amid escalating regional tensions and competing ceasefire initiatives, with battlefield developments further clouding the diplomatic landscape.

Iranian Foreign Ministry officials have said Tehran’s immediate priority is ending the war, according to Iranian state media.

Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he had paused a planned attack on Iran after receiving a new peace proposal from Tehran, adding there was a “very good chance” of reaching a nuclear deal.

Trump said he had instructed the US military to halt a scheduled strike while warning that forces remained ready for a “full, large scale assault” if negotiations failed.

He did not provide details of the alleged attack plan, which had not been previously announced, and Reuters could not independently verify whether such preparations had been underway.

The developments come after weeks of conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, which escalated tensions across the Middle East and disrupted key shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had urged him to delay military action, expressing confidence that a diplomatic settlement could still be reached.

He reiterated that Washington’s central objective remains preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out,” Trump told reporters. “If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I would be very happy.”