• Pakistan hands over Iran’s latest proposal to US, refuses to divulge contents
• Trump says Iran ‘made strides’ in talks, claims process marred by ‘tremendous discord’; appreciates PM Shehbaz, FM Munir’s role
• Diplomats describe transmission of proposals as a positive step, despite no immediate signs of progress
ISLAMABAD: After Pakistan shared a new proposal by Iran with the US, President Donald Trump on Friday said he was still not satisfied with their offer to end the Middle East conflict, which started after the US and Israel struck Iran on Feb 28.
The text of the proposal was handed to Islamabad on Thursday evening, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Friday. Pakistan officials also confirmed that they had shared the proposal with the US, but refused to divulge its contents.
“At this moment, I’m not satisfied with what they’re offering,” President Trump said late on Friday night. Asked why he was unsatisfied with the Iranian offer, he said: “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree.” He gave no details.
Trump was asked what he would do if there was no deal but refused to say whether he would launch more strikes. “Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever — or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options,” he said. He added that he would “prefer not” to launch a huge offensive.
Trump said Iran had “made strides” in negotiations, but added that there was “tremendous discord” in the Islamic Republic’s leadership and warned: “I’m not sure if they ever get there.” During his remarks, the US president said he had “great respect” for Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Meanwhile, Pakistani officials remained tight-lipped about the contents of the proposal, but indicated that established channels were used and that Pakistan’s role remained facilitative. This discretion by Pakistani officials reflected both the sensitivity of the process and the lack of convergence between the two principal parties.
Iranian authorities insist that their latest thinking placed priority on halting hostilities and creating space for a broader political process, before engaging on more contentious issues. Diplomatic sources said the proposals emphasised immediate de-escalation in the Gulf, including steps linked to maritime security and the restoration of commercial activity along critical sea lanes.
A source claimed that there was no significant movement on the issue of negotiations on the nuclear file right away. However, another source said that the new proposal nevertheless contained limited interim assurances related to the nuclear programme, though these fall short of the comprehensive commitments sought by the US.
Therefore, the gap over sequencing still remained wide, with Iran seeking relief and security guarantees upfront, while the US continued to press for verifiable constraints on nuclear activity as part of any meaningful arrangement.
Washington has maintained its position that any durable agreement must address concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions in a substantive and verifiable manner. The US also said that the naval blockade would remain in place until it sees sufficient movement from Tehran on the nuclear front.
Iran, for its part, has underscored the need for an end to military pressure and economic constraints before engaging deeply on nuclear issues. Iranian officials repeatedly pointed to trust deficits stemming from past negotiations, arguing that guarantees would be necessary to sustain any future arrangement.
The divergence over sequencing and priorities has been a central obstacle in recent weeks, with both sides appearing unwilling to shift their core positions. In this context, intermediaries such as Pakistan have focused on keeping lines of communication open and preventing further escalation.
Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said at his weekly briefing on Thursday that Pakistan was continuing efforts to facilitate dialogue between the US and Iran. He had expressed cautious optimism that engagement between the two sides could still produce an agreement.
Regional diplomatic activity has, meanwhile, picked up pace alongside the backchannel contacts. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contacted counterparts across the region, sharing Tehran’s latest positions and seeking support for efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
A fragile ceasefire has held unevenly since early April. While large scale hostilities have subsided, tensions remain elevated, particularly around maritime access and economic restrictions in the Gulf.
Diplomatic observers said the transmission of fresh proposals, even without immediate progress, suggested that neither side was prepared to abandon the possibility of a negotiated outcome. Instead, the process appeared to be moving in incremental steps, with indirect messaging continuing as both sides test each other’s positions.
With input from Agencies
Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026
