US-Iran Diplomacy Progresses Amid Continued Tensions

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks with his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.

The United States and Iran have continued to exchange peace proposals since a temporary ceasefire was agreed last month, with Pakistan mediating efforts to arrange talks. But hostilities have not completely ceased, and both sides remain far apart on several key issues.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted three drones, a day after a drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates. The incidents raised concerns about a potential renewed military escalation in the Gulf as peace negotiations drag on.

While details of Naqvi’s discussions with Momeni have not been made public, his visit to Iran was the second in less than a week, potentially signaling new diplomatic efforts to resolve the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The Iranian IRNA news agency reported that Naqvi is scheduled to hold additional meetings with senior Iranian officials.

However, on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters peace negotiations with Iran are “borderline” between talks and renewed strikes. “If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go,” Trump said.

The visit to Tehran by Pakistan’s military chief was aimed at bringing Iranian and U.S. positions closer together, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported.

“The Iranian text is being discussed in Tehran regarding the overarching framework, some details and confidence-building measures as guarantees,” ISNA reported, adding that “the submitted text has narrowed the gaps to some extent, but further reductions require an end to the temptation for war from Washington.”

Munir’s visit is “aimed at narrowing these gaps and reaching the moment for the official announcement of the memorandum of understanding,” ISNA said.

Tehran is reviewing the latest U.S. peace proposal conveyed via Pakistan, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday.

On Monday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iran had submitted a revised 14-point peace plan to end the war.

In April, Pakistan hosted the only direct negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials since the war began on February 28. On April 8, a temporary ceasefire was reached through Pakistani mediation. Armed hostilities have largely subsided since then, but a durable peace agreement remains elusive, with both sides dissatisfied with each other’s proposed terms.

A major point of contention is Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. During negotiations, Washington has urged Tehran to relinquish its enriched uranium, a demand Tehran has resisted.

It is understood that Iran may consider handing over its enriched uranium to a third party other than the United States.

The question of Iran’s ability to enrich uranium at all is another key issue. The United States wants to impose a 20-year moratorium on any Iranian uranium enrichment. Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed with several nations, Iran was allowed to enrich to 3.87 percent—enough for a nuclear power program. Trump withdrew the United States from that agreement in 2018, despite international inspectors confirming Iran had adhered to its terms.

The Strait of Hormuz is another contentious issue.

Since early March, Iran has restricted shipping through the narrow waterway linking the Gulf to the open ocean, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies are shipped in peacetime. Iran has allowed passage for vessels from selected countries, but they must negotiate transit with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In its previous proposals to end the war, Iran has mentioned charging transit tolls for vessels. Washington and other countries have repeatedly rejected that prospect. In April, the United States announced a naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, further disrupting global oil and gas supplies.

On Wednesday, the IRGC said it coordinated the transit of 26 vessels through the strait in the past 24 hours, as talks between Washington and Tehran remain stalled.

Another issue is Iran’s support and financing of proxy armed groups in the region, which it calls the “Axis of Resistance.” These include the Houthis in Yemen, who have disrupted Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea in protest over the war on Gaza; Hezbollah in Lebanon; and groups in Iraq and Syria. The United States demands an end to all such Iranian support, but analysts say Iran is unlikely to agree.

Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, may travel to Iran as soon as Thursday, Iran’s ISNA news agency has reported. This could signal that conversation extends beyond the United States and Iran exchanging proposals, analysts say.

On Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Munir are expected to visit China, where Sharif is to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to sign several memorandums of understanding, strengthening bilateral ties and economic cooperation.

China hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for a two-day visit starting Wednesday, and Moscow and Beijing said they signed several agreements. Putin’s visit came days after Xi hosted Trump in Beijing, a summit that yielded little evidence of any agreement on ending the war on Iran.

After pushing China for weeks to take a more active role in convincing Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the Trump administration said ahead of the summit that it did not need Beijing’s help.