Amid mounting regional tensions, Iran has been presented with a 15-point peace proposal from the United States, Pakistani officials said Wednesday, even as Tehran fired a volley of cruise missiles at a US aircraft carrier.
While U.S. President, Donald Trump, has claimed progress in talks with Tehran, Iranian officials continue to deny that direct negotiations are taking place.
Diplomacy, however, appears to be quietly advancing; two senior Pakistani officials disclosed that Washington’s proposals had been delivered to Iran through Islamabad, highlighting Pakistan’s role as a potential mediator due to its longstanding ties with both countries and influence in the region.
Military operations, meanwhile, continue unabated. Iranian forces said their cruise missile strike forced the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group to “change its position” and warned of further “powerful strikes” if hostile forces approach. Targets across Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have all been hit in the escalating clashes.
Israel, a key U.S. ally, reported strikes in Tehran and on a submarine development facility in Isfahan. President Trump linked these operations to the security of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blocked in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli actions.
Despite the tension, Tehran assured through the International Maritime Organization that “non-hostile vessels” would still have safe passage through the strategic waterway.
The conflict, which began on February 28 following a U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign on Iranian targets, has rapidly spread across the Middle East, sending oil prices surging and raising concerns over a broader economic fallout.
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