Negotiations Temporarily Halted, Iran Sends Latest Peace Proposal to US

The Islamic Republic of Iran conveyed the text of its latest negotiation proposal to Pakistan, acting as mediator in discussions with the United States, on Thursday evening, according to a statement from the Iranian Republic News Agency, IRNA, as reported by AFP on Friday (1/5/2026). The points included in Iran’s latest proposal to the US remain unknown, and the US side has yet to provide a response. Iran and the US had previously held one round of talks amid a ceasefire following nearly 40 days of war that erupted on 28 February. The talks then stalled due to the US imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iran, for its part, has insisted on keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed, allowing only a few ships to pass through the waterway since the start of the war. On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held telephone calls with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iraq, and Azerbaijan. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the content of the calls discussed “the latest initiatives of the Islamic Republic to end the war.” Meanwhile, in the US, the Trump administration claims that the war in Iran has ended due to the ceasefire that began in early April. The White House interprets this as avoiding the need to seek congressional approval. As reported by AFP, this statement bolsters the argument made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate on the previous Thursday. He stated that the ceasefire has effectively halted the war. Based on this reasoning, the Trump administration is said not to have met the requirements mandated by the 1973 law to seek formal congressional approval for military actions lasting more than 60 days. A senior administration official speaking anonymously said, “The hostilities that began on Saturday, 28 February, have ended.” The official noted that the US and Iranian militaries have not exchanged fire since the two-week ceasefire began on 7 April. A similar statement was made by a senior Trump administration official to AFP. The Trump administration argues that the 60-day deadline for seeking authorisation has effectively been paused by the ceasefire announced last month. “For the purposes of the War Powers Resolution, the hostilities that began on Saturday, 28 February, have ended,” said a senior administration official, as reported by AFP.