Iran demands the release of assets frozen abroad, the lifting of sanctions and control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Published On 18 May 2026
Iran has submitted a response to the latest United States proposal to end the war via mediator Pakistan, as a fragile truce comes under growing strain.
Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press briefing on Monday that Tehran’s response to the latest US proposal had been “conveyed to the American side through mediator Pakistan”, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
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Washington and Tehran have exchanged several proposals over recent weeks amid a ceasefire that mostly halted six weeks of fighting, but the talks mediated by Pakistan have stalled, and US President Donald Trump has said the ceasefire is “on life support”.
Baghaei said Iran’s demands include the release of its assets frozen abroad and the lifting of sanctions.
“The points raised are Iranian demands that have been firmly defended by the Iranian negotiating team in every round of negotiations,” he said.
Iran has demanded compensation for war damage, an end to a US blockade of Iranian ports and a halt to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Israeli forces continue with their invasion of the country and daily bombardment despite a ceasefire.
Washington has urged Tehran to dismantle its nuclear programme and lift an effective blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which prior to the war carried one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social over the weekend that “the Clock is Ticking” for Iran, adding that “they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”
Talks stall
Iranian news agency Fars reported on Sunday that Washington had presented a five-point list, which made it clear the US would cease hostilities only when Tehran engages in formal peace negotiations. It also included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US.
In an earlier proposal also, sent last week, Iran had called for an end to the war on all fronts and the end of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, in place since April 13.
Fars said the Iranian proposal emphasised that Tehran would continue to manage the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy conduit which Iran has largely kept closed since the start of the war.
Fars also reported that the US has refused to release “even 25 percent” of Iran’s frozen assets or pay any reparations for war damage.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that he will call on G7 finance ministers to follow the US sanctions regime to keep financing away from what he described as Iran’s “war machine”.
Trump is expected to meet top national security advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for resuming military action, US news outlet Axios reported.
Mohamad Elmasry, professor of media studies at the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera he believed the US would resume the war in the next day or two.
He said Trump “has got a lot of different people in his ear”, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “very hawkish people” within his own administration.
However, Baghaei said Iran is “fully prepared for any eventuality” if the conflict escalates again.
“As for their threats, rest assured that we are fully aware of how to respond appropriately to even the smallest mistake from the opposing side,” he told a televised weekly news conference.
