Islamabad: Peace talks to end the US-Iran war hit a fresh roadblock as Tehran dismissed Washington’s latest proposal and rejected Pakistan’s mediation efforts, deepening confusion over Iran’s negotiating stance.
Iran has firmly rejected what it called a “one-sided and unfair” US proposal conveyed via Pakistan, with a senior official saying it “mainly serves U.S. and Israel interests” and fails to meet Iran’s minimum requirements.
Tehran drew a clear red line, warning it will not negotiate under pressure even as US President Donald Trump issued fresh ultimatums targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure.
The deadlock comes despite Islamabad projecting itself as a peace broker.
Pakistan announced it would host a second round of US-Iran talks this weekend, with Army Chief Asim Munir reportedly speaking to President Trump and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif holding discussions with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Turkey and Egypt are also backing the mediation push.
But Iranian officials called the mediation “unrealistic” and irrelevant, even as Tehran’s own five-point counter-proposal demands a halt to strikes on Iranian officials, reparations, and recognition of its “sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz”.
Pakistan’s U.S. ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh warned that Iran is “too war-torn” for quick responses, with communication channels disrupted. Yet he cited Tehran’s move to let 20 Pakistani ships cross Hormuz as a sign that “confidence was being built”. With the US reportedly weighing plans to seize Iran-linked tankers worldwide and Tehran threatening to set invading troops “on fire”, diplomacy remains fragile. As both sides reject each other’s terms, the risk of wider escalation looms.