Iran sends response to US proposals to end war
Iran sent its response to the US offer to end the war through mediators in Pakistan, Iranian state media reported.
No details have been released. The United States has also not publicly disclosed the details of its proposals, but reports indicate that they center on a 14-point memorandum of understanding that could lead to negotiations on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The ceasefire, which aims to facilitate negotiations to end the war the United States and Israel launched in February, has been largely observed despite occasional clashes.
But Iran has continued to close the Strait of Hormuz – leading to a rise in world oil prices – and the US has been blockading Iranian ports in an attempt to pressure Tehran to accept its terms.
The US naval blockade infuriated Iran.
On Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said: “We will never bow our heads before the enemy.”
In a post published on
“Rather, the goal is to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and defend national interests with determined force.”
US President Donald Trump this week on the war in Iran “it will be over quickly” and said most people “understand” his goal of ending Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
US news source Axis declared He said the single-page, 14-point note included provisions such as suspending Iran’s nuclear enrichment, lifting sanctions and restoring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
He cited two US officials and two sources, all anonymous, who he said had knowledge of the matter. These sources reportedly said that many of the terms outlined in the memo would depend on reaching a final agreement.
A senior member of Iran’s parliament had previously dismissed it as a “wish list”.
Iran has previously warned its neighbors to comply with US sanctions.
According to the Irna news agency, military spokesman Mohammed Akraminia said that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would face “serious consequences” if they did not cooperate with Tehran first.
Akraminia said that the Americans “will never be able to turn this large area in the northern Indian Ocean into a real blockade by closing it with their fleet.”
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for oil and gas, has largely stopped [AFP via Getty Images]
Tehran has strengthened its effective control over the waterway, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas flows, in the war that began with attacks by the United States and Israel on February 28.
He warned and in some cases attacked ships trying to cross the strait.
The USA has a significant military presence throughout the Gulf with bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Iran also retaliated against US Arab allies in the Gulf.
The UK Center for Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors international shipping routes, said a bulk carrier was “hit by an unknown projectile” about 23 nautical miles (43 km) northeast of Doha in Qatar, causing a small fire but no casualties.
Iran’s Fars news agency later quoted an unidentified source as saying the ship “was sailing under the US flag and belonged to the US.”
Also Sunday, Kuwait said drones had entered its airspace and the military was “taking care of them.”
Hours later, the UAE announced that its air defenses had intercepted two UAVs from Iran.
Defense ministers from more than 40 countries will meet on Monday to discuss Britain’s plans to protect shipping in the strait.
John Healey and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin will co-chair the meeting, where coalition partners are expected to outline how they will control maritime traffic once hostilities end.
In his May 6 Truth Social post, Trump wrote that if Iran did not agree to a deal, “the bombing will begin, and unfortunately, it will be at a much higher level and intensity than before.”
