Iran has sent its latest proposal for negotiations with the United States to Pakistani mediators, according to sources familiar with the negotiation process.
It isn’t yet clear what is in the proposal or whether US President Donald Trump will accept it.
The two countries have been locked in a standoff for nearly four weeks since they reached a temporary ceasefire, with the US blockading Iran’s ports and the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively closed by Tehran.
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Even as talks publicly appeared at a standstill, Trump said yesterday that no one knows their status apart from him and a handful of others, suggesting that they were still proceeding.
Friday was a crucial day in talks between the US and Iran, as it was the anticipated deadline for Pakistan to receive Tehran’s revised peace proposal after Trump rejected a previous version.
Mediators in Islamabad believe a fair deal can be struck and it is now down to Tehran to respond, according to sources familiar with the agreement.
But as diplomats work to craft a deal both sides can agree to, the US and Iran have only doubled down on their rhetoric, reminding the other that the war can resume.
Iran has reportedly sent a revised peace plan. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP Trump said on Thursday that no one knows the status of talks with Iran aside from himself and a handful of others, suggesting the negotiations are advancing despite the public appearance of a standstill.
“Nobody knows what the talks are, except myself and a couple of other people,” Trump said in the Oval Office, even as he acknowledged the uncertainty over Iran’s leadership.
“We have a problem because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are. It’s a little bit of a problem,” he said.
Insisting Tehran wanted to make a deal “badly,” Trump said his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was working as planned.
“Their economy is crashing. The blockade is incredible. The power of the blockade is incredible,” he said.
Trump appeared to discount the possibility he would end the ceasefire currently in place and resume bombing Iran.
“I don’t know that we need it. We might need it,” he said.
President Donald Trump speaks speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Credit: Alex Brandon/AP But earlier on Friday, the White House claimed the war in Iran is over amid an open-ended ceasefire, an argument that sets the administration up to bypass seeking congressional approval for the conflict.
Lawmakers of both parties have been clamoring for a vote authorising the war, citing a 1973 law requiring approval from Congress for military action longer than 60 days.
In a statement, a senior administration official said that for the purposes of the law, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated”.
The official noted that both the US and Iran had agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7 that has since been extended.
“There has been no exchange of fire between US Armed Forces and Iran since Tuesday, April 7,” the official said.
The statement underlines an argument Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made Thursday in testimony on Capitol Hill when he said the administration’s understanding “means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.”
Even as the truce remains in place, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut as both the US and Iran prevent tankers from passing through.