Iran Submits New Peace Proposal to Pakistani Mediators as Diplomatic Thaw Remains Elusive

TEHRAN/ISLAMABAD – Iran has delivered a fresh proposal for peace talks with the United States through Pakistani mediators, according to a diplomatic source cited by state media on Friday. The development comes as negotiations between Tehran and Washington remain frozen, despite a precarious weeks-long ceasefire holding across the region.

The official IRNA news agency reported that the text of the proposal was handed to Pakistani authorities in Islamabad on Thursday evening. Pakistan, which maintains unique lines of communication with both Iran and the U.S., has previously acted as an intermediary in efforts to de-escalate the conflict.

The war, which began on February 28 with a massive wave of coordinated surprise strikes by the United States and Israel, has been at a standstill since April 8. However, only one inconclusive round of direct talks between Iranian and American representatives has taken place, underscoring the deep mistrust on both sides.

In the interim, Iran has continued to enforce a strategic stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz a vital chokepoint for global energy shipments effectively cutting off vast quantities of oil, natural gas, and fertilizer from international markets. In response, the United States has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports, further squeezing the Islamic Republic’s already battered economy.

Economic Fallout and Market Jitters

The standoff has sent shockwaves through global energy markets. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed security officials to prepare for a blockade lasting several months, a scenario that has already driven oil prices sharply upward. Despite the absence of active combat, crude prices remain more than 50% above prewar levels as traders brace for a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The European Central Bank, citing fears of runaway inflation, has opted to hold interest rates steady.

Tehran’s Dual Stance: Open to Talks, Rejecting Imposition

Despite the diplomatic impasse, the ceasefire has held. On Friday, Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei a senior cleric and respected establishment figure struck a measured tone. “The Islamic Republic has never shied away from negotiations,” he said in a video shared by the judiciary’s Mizan Online website. However, he added a firm caveat: “We certainly do not accept imposition.”

Ejei also made clear that Tehran does not wish to return to full-scale war. “We do not welcome war in any way; we do not want war, we do not want its continuation,” he said.

U.S. Domestic Debate: War Powers and Political Pressure

In Washington, a legal and political firestorm has erupted over whether President Trump missed a statutory deadline to seek congressional approval for the conflict. Administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, argue that the ceasefire effectively paused the 60-day clock under the War Powers Resolution, which requires the president to obtain authorization from Congress for prolonged military hostilities.

“For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated,” a senior administration official told AFP late Thursday.

Trump faces mounting domestic pressure ahead of November’s midterm elections. With no clear military victory in sight and inflation spiking due to the conflict, his political standing has weakened. On Thursday, new U.S. government data revealed slower-than-expected economic growth and inflation hitting 3.5%.

Iran’s Crumbling Economy Under Dual Pressure

For Iran, the economic consequences of the war layered atop years of severe international sanctions are becoming acute. On Thursday, the U.S. military announced that its blockade had prevented Iran from exporting $6 billion worth of oil. According to Iran’s national statistics center, inflation, which was already above 45% before the war, has climbed to 53.7% in recent weeks.

The toll on ordinary Iranians is severe. “For many people, paying rent and even buying food has become difficult, and some have nothing left at all,” said Mahyar, a 28-year-old whose name has been changed for safety. Speaking to an AFP correspondent based outside Iran, he said his employer had laid off 34 people nearly 40% of its workforce.

Rival Coalitions for the Strait of Hormuz

President Trump has repeatedly criticized Washington’s traditional allies for failing to join efforts to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In response, France and Britain have led the formation of an international coalition of dozens of countries, but their plan is conditional: the strait would only be reopened once a peace agreement is secured.

However, on Thursday, a U.S. official confirmed to AFP that Washington is launching its own parallel initiative, dubbed the “Maritime Freedom Construct,” aimed at restarting shipping through the strait even before a final peace deal. The move raised concerns of competing missions, but French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot sought to downplay tensions.

“The U.S. mission is not of the same nature as the one we established… it comes as a sort of complement,” Barrot said during a visit to the Gulf, adding that coordination between the two coalitions would be essential to avoid escalation.

Outlook: A Fragile Pause, Not a Breakthrough

While Iran’s new proposal via Pakistan offers a glimmer of diplomatic hope, the gap between the two sides remains vast. With Tehran rejecting any form of “imposition,” Washington demanding verifiable concessions on Hormuz, and both leaders facing intense domestic pressures, the current ceasefire appears increasingly fragile a pause in fighting, but not yet a path to peace.

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