A renewed diplomatic push accelerated Thursday as Washington and Tehran tried to break a stalemate over a potential agreement that could end the conflict and ease regional tensions. Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency said Tehran had received the latest U.S. proposal and that it “reduced the gaps to some extent,” signaling movement in talks that have been mediated by regional partners.
ISNA reported that Pakistan’s army chief was traveling to Tehran to help close remaining differences and to facilitate formal acceptance of a memorandum of understanding, though the report did not name sources. Pakistani officials have played a central role in shuttling messages between the two sides.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that negotiators were in the “final stages,” but warned the U.S. was prepared to act if it did not “get the right answers.” He told reporters at Joint Base Andrews that he might wait “a few days,” but that action could come “very quickly” if talks failed. Trump also said earlier this week he had called off a planned attack after leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates urged him to allow negotiations to continue. He stressed any deal would bar Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran was reviewing U.S. views, according to Nour News, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC itself issued a stark warning that renewed aggression against Iran would draw reprisals that could extend beyond the region.
Negotiations during the cease-fire have focused on curbing Iran’s nuclear activities and reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Nearly three months after U.S. and Israeli strikes began the war, Iran still exerts control over the strategic waterway, and disruptions there have driven oil prices higher; Brent crude hovered around $107 per barrel early Thursday.
Tensions at sea remain volatile. U.S. Marines boarded an Iranian-flagged tanker, the Celestial Sea, after authorities said it attempted to breach the American maritime blockade. The standoff in the Strait of Hormuz has choked global shipping and threatened broader disruptions to energy and food supplies.
Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army commander, was expected in Tehran to press for progress. His visit follows earlier meetings with U.S. officials that advanced but did not finalize a peace framework. Diplomats say several days of intense back-and-forth could determine whether negotiators convert tentative understandings into a formal agreement or slide back toward military confrontation.