WASHINGTON/ TEHRAN, May 7: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that a US proposal to end the war is still “under review,” and that Tehran will share its response with Pakistani mediators after “finalizing its position”.
Iran’s response came as President Donald Trump expressed optimism, telling Republicans at a virtual campaign event in Georgia that he believed the war would end soon. “We’ve had very good talks with Iran in the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible we’ll make a deal,” Trump said, adding, “I think we won.”
Trump also stressed that any short-term economic hardship for Americans, particularly from high fuel prices, would be temporary, and he is of the view that most people understood his determination to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
US outlet Axios reported that the White House believes it may be close to agreeing on a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran, which would serve as a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations. According to sources briefed on the matter, the US and Iran were reportedly attempting to put together the details of a one-page memorandum to end hostilities and trigger a 30-day window to resolve key sticking points, including nuclear issues, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told PBS News that any deal would require Iran to ship its highly enriched uranium to the United States and commit to shutting down its underground nuclear facilities.
Not everyone in Tehran is enthusiastic. A senior member of Iran’s Parliament dismissed the proposal as a “wish list,” while another official warned that if the US failed to offer the necessary concessions, Iran would deliver what he called a “harsh and regret-inducing response.”
An Iranian official on Wednesday called a reported peace deal for the end to the US war against Iran the “Americans’ wish list.”
“Axios’ text is Americans’ wish list until it becomes reality,” Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesperson for the Iranian parliament on national security, said in a post on the social platform X Wednesday morning, translated from Persian by the artificial intelligence tool Grok.
“Americans will not obtain through a failed war what they failed to gain in face-to-face negotiations,” he added. “Iran has its finger on the trigger and is ready; if they do not surrender and grant the necessary concessions, or if they or their devilish henchdog allies try to act mischievously, we will deliver a harsh and regret-inducing response.”
Trump, for his part, has not softened his own language. He warned on Truth Social that if Iran rejected a deal, “the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is an ally in this war, held talks with Trump administration officials to get a clearer picture of how negotiations were progressing.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said it welcomes indications of a potential agreement between Iran and the United States to end the war, adding it won’t disclose additional information at this stage.
“As mediators, we will not lose the trust of both parties by revealing details,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said his country was “endeavouring to convert this ceasefire into a permanent end to this war”.
While there is a lack of information on which country would potentially host delegations for a second round of peace talks, the ministry said: “It would be an honour for us if it were in Islamabad.”
(UNI)
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