Pakistan’s peace plan a ‘critical opportunity’ for US-Iran talks ahead of Trump deadline

Airstrikes continued on Monday ahead of Donald Trump’s deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Photo: Reuters As US President Donald Trump’s Tuesday deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz approached, Pakistan put forward a fresh proposal for an immediate ceasefire on Monday, offering what one analyst described as “a critical opportunity” for talks.

The plan was brokered through overnight contacts between Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, US officials including Vice-President J.D.

Vance and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to Reuters.

It called for an immediate halt to hostilities and the reopening of the vital waterway, followed by negotiations for a broader settlement within 15 to 20 days.

Both Washington and Tehran have not responded to the proposal.

Pakistan’s latest mediation effort came as Trump threatened to rain down “hell” on Tehran if a deal was not reached by the end of Tuesday that would allow traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.

But Iran has ruled out reopening the strait immediately.

One senior official told Reuters on Monday that Tehran would not accept deadlines while reviewing the proposal, arguing that Washington was not prepared to guarantee a permanent ceasefire.

Iran’s foreign ministry said details of its response would be announced in due course, but stressed that negotiations were “incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes”. “Iran does not hesitate to clearly express what it considers its legitimate demands and doing so should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference on Monday.

He said earlier US demands, including its 15-point plan, had been rejected for being excessive.

Zhu Yongbiao, a Middle East specialist and director of the Centre for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, said Pakistan’s latest proposal was “a significant moment and a critical opportunity”.

He said: “It offers both sides, as well as the wider international community, a plan that could serve as the starting point for negotiations.

If it were to be rejected outright, it would signal that the path to dialogue remains closed.” Air strikes continued across the region on Monday, with Israeli strikes killing senior Iranian figures.

Meanwhile, Iranian missiles hit Israeli cities and Gulf energy facilities.

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