Iran has delivered its reply to a U. S. ceasefire proposal through Pakistan, pressing for negotiations to centre on a permanent end to the war as drone incidents over Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and waters off Qatar strained a fragile regional pause in hostilities.
Tehran’s response, reported by state-run media and confirmed as received by Pakistan, signals that Iran wants the opening phase of talks to deal with the cessation of fighting across the region rather than immediately address the most difficult elements of Washington’s plan. The U. S. proposal seeks to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and roll back Iran’s nuclear programme, but Tehran is pushing to defer nuclear negotiations while securing a broader halt to military operations.
The diplomatic move came as the ceasefire came under pressure from drone activity across the Gulf. A drone struck a commercial ship off Qatar, causing a small fire that was extinguished, while Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reported incursions into their airspace. No casualties were reported, and there was no immediate claim of responsibility. The UAE said it shot down two drones and blamed Iran, while Kuwait said hostile drones entered its airspace and that its forces responded under established procedures.
Qatar described the attack near its coast as a dangerous escalation threatening maritime trade routes and vital supplies. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre placed the incident about 23 nautical miles, or 43 kilometres, northeast of Doha. The targeted vessel had been travelling from Abu Dhabi, according to Qatar’s Defence Ministry.
The Strait of Hormuz has become the central pressure point in the crisis. The waterway is a critical passage for oil, liquefied natural gas and fertiliser shipments, and Iran’s restrictions since the outbreak of war have unsettled global markets. The latest peace efforts are aimed at an interim memorandum that would stop fighting and allow traffic through the strait while negotiators work on a fuller settlement.
Washington has paired diplomacy with military pressure. U. S. forces have blockaded Iranian ports since April 13 and said they had turned back 61 commercial vessels and disabled four since the blockade began. On Friday, the U. S. struck two Iranian oil tankers it said were trying to breach the blockade. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy warned that attacks on its tankers or commercial vessels would draw a heavy response against U. S. bases or ships in the region.
Pakistan’s mediation has become one of the few active channels between Washington and Tehran. Islamabad hosted face-to-face talks last month and continues to press for a negotiated outcome. Field Marshal Asim Munir has said Pakistan remains committed to efforts to end the conflict, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has spoken with Qatar’s leadership as Gulf states seek to prevent attacks on commercial shipping from spreading.
The dispute over Iran’s uranium stockpile remains a major obstacle. The U. N. nuclear watchdog has assessed that Iran holds more than 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, a level below weapons grade but close enough to deepen concern in Israel and the United States. Iran says its forces are on full readiness to protect nuclear sites where uranium is stored.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war is not over because the enriched uranium must be removed from Iran. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow’s proposal to take Iranian enriched uranium as part of a settlement remains available. Most of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is believed to be at the Isfahan nuclear complex, which has been hit during earlier U. S.-Israeli strikes.
Iran’s leadership has also sought to project military resolve. State broadcasting reported that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued “new and decisive directives” for continued operations during a meeting with the head of joint military command, though no operational details were released. Iran and allied armed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, have used drones extensively since the war began with U. S. and Israeli attacks on February 28.
Tehran’s response, reported by state-run media and confirmed as received by Pakistan, signals that Iran wants the opening phase of talks to deal with the cessation of fighting across the region rather than immediately address the most difficult elements of Washington’s plan. The U. S. proposal seeks to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and roll back Iran’s nuclear programme, but Tehran is pushing to defer nuclear negotiations while securing a broader halt to military operations.
The diplomatic move came as the ceasefire came under pressure from drone activity across the Gulf. A drone struck a commercial ship off Qatar, causing a small fire that was extinguished, while Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reported incursions into their airspace. No casualties were reported, and there was no immediate claim of responsibility. The UAE said it shot down two drones and blamed Iran, while Kuwait said hostile drones entered its airspace and that its forces responded under established procedures.
Qatar described the attack near its coast as a dangerous escalation threatening maritime trade routes and vital supplies. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre placed the incident about 23 nautical miles, or 43 kilometres, northeast of Doha. The targeted vessel had been travelling from Abu Dhabi, according to Qatar’s Defence Ministry.
The Strait of Hormuz has become the central pressure point in the crisis. The waterway is a critical passage for oil, liquefied natural gas and fertiliser shipments, and Iran’s restrictions since the outbreak of war have unsettled global markets. The latest peace efforts are aimed at an interim memorandum that would stop fighting and allow traffic through the strait while negotiators work on a fuller settlement.
Washington has paired diplomacy with military pressure. U. S. forces have blockaded Iranian ports since April 13 and said they had turned back 61 commercial vessels and disabled four since the blockade began. On Friday, the U. S. struck two Iranian oil tankers it said were trying to breach the blockade. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy warned that attacks on its tankers or commercial vessels would draw a heavy response against U. S. bases or ships in the region.
Pakistan’s mediation has become one of the few active channels between Washington and Tehran. Islamabad hosted face-to-face talks last month and continues to press for a negotiated outcome. Field Marshal Asim Munir has said Pakistan remains committed to efforts to end the conflict, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has spoken with Qatar’s leadership as Gulf states seek to prevent attacks on commercial shipping from spreading.
The dispute over Iran’s uranium stockpile remains a major obstacle. The U. N. nuclear watchdog has assessed that Iran holds more than 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, a level below weapons grade but close enough to deepen concern in Israel and the United States. Iran says its forces are on full readiness to protect nuclear sites where uranium is stored.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war is not over because the enriched uranium must be removed from Iran. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow’s proposal to take Iranian enriched uranium as part of a settlement remains available. Most of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is believed to be at the Isfahan nuclear complex, which has been hit during earlier U. S.-Israeli strikes.
Iran’s leadership has also sought to project military resolve. State broadcasting reported that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued “new and decisive directives” for continued operations during a meeting with the head of joint military command, though no operational details were released. Iran and allied armed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, have used drones extensively since the war began with U. S. and Israeli attacks on February 28.
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