Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, May 19: Iran has proposed a fresh peace plan to the United States seeking an end to hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon, withdrawal of US forces from areas near Iran, lifting of sanctions and compensation for destruction caused during the recent US-Israeli conflict.
According to Iranian state media, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran’s proposal also called for the release of frozen Iranian funds and an end to the US naval blockade.
The proposal comes after US President Donald Trump announced that he had paused planned military strikes on Iran following renewed diplomatic efforts. Trump said there was now a “very good chance” of reaching an agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Reports said the latest Iranian proposal appeared largely similar to an earlier offer that Trump had rejected last week as “garbage”.
Trump stated that leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had urged him to delay military action, expressing confidence that a deal acceptable to both Washington and West Asian countries could be achieved.
Speaking to reporters later, Trump said the United States would be satisfied if an agreement prevented Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I would be very happy,” he said.
A Pakistani source reportedly confirmed that Pakistan had conveyed the Iranian proposal to Washington after acting as an intermediary in recent peace talks.
Reports further suggested that negotiations remain difficult, with both sides frequently changing positions. However, an Iranian official indicated that Washington may have softened some demands, including possible release of part of Iran’s frozen overseas funds and limited flexibility regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities under supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The US has not officially confirmed these claims.
A US official also denied reports by Iran’s Tasnim news agency that Washington had agreed to suspend oil sanctions during the negotiations.
The recent US-Israeli bombing campaign reportedly killed thousands in Iran before a ceasefire was reached in early April. Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group also caused heavy casualties and displacement.
Despite the ceasefire largely holding, reports said drones had recently been launched from Iraq toward Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, allegedly by Iran-backed groups.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have maintained that the military campaign aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, missile capabilities and support for regional militias.
However, reports indicated that Iran still retains stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and significant missile and drone capabilities, while the country’s leadership has remained in power despite internal unrest earlier this year.