Tehran officials brief President Pezeshkian on Washington’s reply as mediators continue efforts over Strait of Hormuz and sanctions.
Iranian authorities have confirmed receiving an official response from the United States to Tehran’s latest proposal to end the ongoing conflict, state media reported, days after US President Donald Trump publicly dismissed the plan.
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told the official IRNA news agency that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the American side’s response to President Masoud Pezeshkian during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. She did not disclose the content of the reply or indicate whether it amounted to acceptance, rejection or a counter-proposal.
“We will make every effort to bring the agreement to fruition and will firmly stand up for the rights of the Iranian people,” Pezeshkian said, according to the report. “The agreement must now be based on a win-win strategy.”
US-Iran Talks and Hormuz Tensions:
The development follows indirect contacts between Iranian and US officials on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. Mediators, including Qatar and Pakistan, have been facilitating the exchanges as both sides seek a path out of a conflict that has now lasted roughly seven months.
Iran had put forward a set of conditions-described in some accounts as a seven-day roadmap-for ending hostilities and reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, through which a significant portion of the world’s seaborne oil and gas normally passes, has been a central point of leverage and disruption throughout the war. Among Tehran’s publicly discussed demands are a ceasefire covering multiple fronts, including Lebanon; the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports; the unfreezing of Iranian assets held abroad; the easing or removal of sanctions affecting its oil sector; and guarantees against further attacks.
In return, Iranian officials have indicated a willingness to reopen the strait and resume broader talks, including on nuclear issues, once those steps are underway. Trump rejected the proposal when speaking to reporters over the weekend, arguing that Iran was seeking a deal because it was “losing so badly” and that its terms “would not be acceptable.” Despite that public stance, mediators continued working channels between the two sides, and Tehran had been awaiting a formal reply.
Fighting has eased in recent weeks compared with the intensity of earlier phases of the conflict, though Iranian forces have continued limited operations, including actions against vessels attempting to transit the strait. The economic and strategic stakes remain high: prolonged disruption of Hormuz has affected global energy markets, while sanctions and the blockade have deepened pressures on Iran’s economy.
Iran Reviews US Response:
Araghchi’s briefing to the cabinet also covered his meetings in New York, where he conveyed Iran’s conditions through mediators. Officials on both sides have emphasised that any sustainable arrangement would need to address not only an immediate halt to hostilities but also the underlying disputes that fuelled the war.
As Tehran reviews the US response, the next steps remain unclear. Iranian leaders have repeatedly stressed that any deal must protect national rights and deliver mutual benefits, while Washington has signalled it will not rush into an agreement it views as insufficient. Mediators are expected to remain central to any further exchanges.
The confirmation that an official American reply has now reached Tehran marks a procedural step forward after weeks of tentative diplomacy. Whether it opens a genuine path toward de-escalation or simply underscores the distance still separating the two sides will depend on the substance of the response and the willingness of both capitals to engage further.