Witkoff confirms Pakistan acting as mediator
A senior Iranian official has described the United States’ proposal to end the ongoing war as “one-sided and unfair,” while indicating that the door to diplomacy remains open if Washington shows more realism.
The official told Reuters that Iran had reviewed in detail the US 15-point proposal, which was conveyed to Tehran via Pakistan. He said the plan essentially demands that Iran relinquish its ability to defend itself in exchange for a vague promise of sanctions relief, serving primarily US and Israeli interests and lacking the minimum requirements for success.
“Diplomacy has not stopped, and if realism prevails in Washington, a path forward may still be found,” the official added. However, he stressed that there is still no arrangement for negotiations and no plan for talks appears realistic at this stage.
The senior Iranian source confirmed that both Turkiye and Pakistan are actively trying to help “establish common ground between Iran and the United States and reduce differences.” According to the official, either Turkiye or Pakistan could potentially serve as a venue for future discussions.
Pakistan had delivered the US proposal to Iran, and Islamabad has publicly offered to host direct or indirect talks. Turkiye has also been involved in passing messages between the two sides to encourage de-escalation.
Iran’s position comes amid conflicting signals from Washington. US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is eager for a deal, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has repeatedly stated that Tehran has no intention of holding talks under the current circumstances and intends to continue its policy of resistance.
The US proposal reportedly includes demands for Iran to remove its stocks of highly enriched uranium, halt uranium enrichment, curb its ballistic missile program, and cut support for regional allies, in exchange for sanctions relief and other assurances.
