Pakistan Hands US Revised Iranian Proposal; “We Don’t Have Much Time”
Pakistan today shared with the United States a revised proposal from Iran to end the war in the Middle East, a Pakistani source said on Monday, warning that the two sides “don’t have much time” to narrow their differences. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei later confirmed that Tehran’s views had been “conveyed to the American side through Pakistan”, but gave no details. The Pakistani source said the two sides “keep changing their goalposts”. Trump is expected to meet top national security advisers tomorrow to discuss options for resuming military action, Axios reported.
The two sides remain far apart on the substantive issues. Washington has called for Tehran to dismantle its nuclear programme and lift its hold on the Strait of Hormuz; Iran has demanded compensation for war damage, an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, a halt to fighting on all fronts (including Lebanon), guarantees against further attacks, and a resumption of Iranian oil sales. Trump’s public framing on Truth Social over the weekend — “the Clock is Ticking… they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them” — sets the tone for tomorrow’s national security meeting. Iranian armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi countered that the United States would “face new, aggressive, and surprise scenarios, and sink into a self-made quagmire”. Global share markets slipped on Monday as Sunday’s drone strikes pushed oil and bond yields higher; the US faces midterm elections in November.