Iran reviewing US proposal to end war, though key demands remain unaddressed

On Wednesday, Iran announced that it is examining a peace proposal from the United States. This proposal, according to sources, aims to formally end the ongoing war but does not address two major U.S. demands: that Iran halt its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, as reported by Iran’s ISNA news agency, stated that Tehran would provide a response soon. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that Iran is interested in reaching an agreement. He told reporters in the Oval Office, “They want to make a deal. We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal.” Earlier in the day, Trump had expressed more doubt about the likelihood of a deal. In a post on Truth Social, he warned of potentially resuming U.S. bombing in Iran, calling it a “big assumption” that Tehran would accept the latest U.S. proposal. Trump has often emphasized the possibility of an agreement to end the war, which began on February 28, but has not yet achieved this goal. The two parties remain divided on several complex issues, including Iran's nuclear goals and its control over the Strait of Hormuz, which used to handle one-fifth of the global oil and gas supply before the war. A Pakistani source and another informed source involved in mediation stated that an agreement could be near regarding a one-page memorandum that would officially end the conflict. This would initiate talks to restore shipping through the strait, lift U.S. sanctions on Iran, and impose limits on Iran’s nuclear activities. It remains unclear how this memorandum differs from a 14-point plan Iran proposed last week, and Iran has not yet responded to the newest U.S. proposal. Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei, who speaks for the parliament’s influential foreign policy and national security committee, described the proposal as “more of an American wish-list than a reality.” Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf seemed to ridicule reports suggesting the two sides were nearing an agreement, posting on social media in English, “Operation Trust Me Bro failed.” Qalibaf claimed that such reports were merely U.S. propaganda after its failure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic.