Pakistan has delivered a US peace proposal to Iran, and either Islamabad or Ankara could host talks aimed at de-escalating the Gulf war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday — even as Tehran publicly insists it will never negotiate with Donald Trump.
The comments are among the first signs that Iran may be considering diplomatic options despite weeks of fierce rhetoric. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not disclose details of the proposal but confirmed that Turkey has also been helping to pass messages between the two sides.
Oil prices fell, and battered shares recovered on Wednesday on news of the diplomatic push, with investors hoping for an end to nearly four weeks of war that has killed thousands and disrupted global energy supplies.
The 15-Point Plan
The proposal delivered by Pakistan is believed to be a 15-point framework previously reported by Reuters. Three Israeli cabinet sources said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet had been briefed on its contents, which include:
Removing Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium, halting uranium enrichment, curbing Iran’s ballistic missile program, and ending funding for regional proxies.
The plan has been described as a potential pathway to de-escalation, though Israeli officials expressed skepticism that Iran would agree to the terms. A senior Israeli defense official said Israel was concerned that the terms were only “starting points for negotiations” during which US negotiators might make concessions.
The Venue Question
A senior ruling party official in Turkey, Harun Armagan, confirmed Wednesday that Ankara was “playing a role in passing messages” between Iran and the US. The Iranian source said either Turkey or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for potential talks.
Pakistan has already offered to host talks as soon as this week, with senior US officials potentially attending.
But the diplomatic push has not yet been acknowledged publicly by Tehran. Iran’s public statements remain defiant, even caustic.
‘Not Now. Not Ever.’
The top spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, Ebrahim Zolfaqari, taunted Trump on Iranian state TV:
“Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you negotiating with yourself? People like us can never get along with people like you. As we have always said … no one like us will make a deal with you. Not now. Not ever.”
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Beghaei, appearing on television in India, said nuclear talks had already been underway when Trump attacked — “a betrayal of diplomacy” that proved further talks pointless.
“There are no talks or negotiations between Iran and the United States,” he said. “No one can trust United States diplomacy.”
Trump’s Shift
The diplomatic push represents a sharp reversal for Trump, who early in the war said it would end only with Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” and his choosing Iran’s leaders. This week, he abruptly changed tack, declaring that “productive” talks had been underway for days with unspecified Iranian officials.
His softer stance — including postponing a threat to escalate bombing of Iran’s civilian energy system — caused a respite in financial markets. But Iran has consistently maintained that no such talks have taken place, deriding Trump’s announcement as an attempt to buy time and placate the markets.
The War Continues
While diplomats maneuver, the war rages on. An Israeli military official, asked whether Israel had adjusted its plans since Trump said talks were underway, replied it was “pretty much business as usual.”
The Israeli military described several new waves of attacks on Iran during the day, including one targeting Iran’s construction of ships and submarines. The semi-official Iranian SNN News Agency said strikes had hit a residential area in Tehran, with rescuers searching rubble.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia said they had repelled fresh drone attacks. Drones targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a fire, but no casualties.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched a new wave of attacks against locations in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona, as well as US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain.
Since the start of “Operation Epic Fury” in February, Iran has attacked countries that host US bases and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes.
What Comes Next
The Pentagon is planning to send thousands of airborne troops to the Gulf, adding to two contingents of Marines already en route. The first Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard a massive amphibious assault ship could arrive around the end of the month.
Iran has told the UN Security Council and the International Maritime Organization that “non-hostile vessels” may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities. In practice, however, only Iran’s own oil and a handful of ships from friendly countries have made it through.
The war has killed thousands. Global energy markets have been disrupted. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed. And for all the diplomatic maneuvering, both sides are still preparing for the fight to continue.
Whether Turkey or Pakistan emerges as the venue for talks, whether the 15-point plan gains traction, and whether Tehran’s public defiance gives way to private engagement remain open questions. But after weeks of open warfare, the fact that Pakistan has delivered a US proposal to Iran — and that both countries are being discussed as potential hosts — is the first real sign that the guns may not be the only thing speaking.
