Iran signals openness to talks but avoids nuclear negotiations in response to US proposal

Iran has responded to a US proposal aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, sending its message through a Pakistani mediator, according to Iranian news agency IRNA.

While Iranian officials have not publicly revealed details of the proposal, reports in Iranian media suggest Tehran is seeking guarantees against future attacks and the lifting of US sanctions before moving forward with wider negotiations.

Iranian news agency Tasnim, citing informed sources, reported that Iran’s response stresses the urgent need to end the war and secure protections against further aggression toward the country.

The proposal also reportedly calls for the release of Iran’s frozen assets during a 30-day period and links future discussions to US commitments regarding sanctions and Iran’s management of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the reports, Iran is not currently offering negotiations over its nuclear programme, which remains one of the biggest points of tension between Tehran and Washington.

US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told Fox News Sunday that Washington’s latest proposal included a “very clear red line.”

He said: “President (Donald) Trump has been clear they will never have a nuclear weapon and they cannot hold the world’s economies hostage.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also struck a defiant tone, writing on X: “We will never bow our heads before the enemy, and if talk of dialogue or negotiation arises, it does not mean surrender or retreat.”