Iran has not yet replied to latest US proposal, contradicting Trump

Iran has not yet given an official response to the latest US text aimed at ending the war between the two countries, an informed source told IRGC-linked media on May 6, contradicting US media reports that Tehran and Washington are close to a one-page deal.

The alleged IRGC source said the US text contained some "unacceptable clauses" and that recent claims by US officials about an imminent agreement were intended to justify President Donald Trump's retreat from his latest hostile action.

The remarks came hours after an Israeli reporter for Axios reported that the White House believed it was closer than at any point since the war began to agreeing a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the conflict and set a framework for detailed nuclear negotiations, adding that Washington expected Iranian responses on several key points within 48 hours.

Under the proposed 14-point memorandum, Iran would commit to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the United States would agree to lift sanctions and release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides would lift restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The memorandum is being negotiated by Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Iranian officials, both directly and through mediators.

The MOU would declare an end to the war and trigger a 30-day negotiation period on a detailed agreement covering the strait, the nuclear programme and sanctions relief, with talks expected to take place in either Islamabad or Geneva. Iran's restrictions on Hormuz shipping and the US naval blockade would be gradually lifted over the same period.

The two sides remain apart on the duration of the enrichment moratorium, with Iran proposing five years and the United States 20.

An Iranian Tasnim source said the United States had sent a plan before the start of its latest hostilities, with Iran in the middle of reviewing it when Washington again resorted to what the source called "unwise methods," halting the review process.

The source said it was unclear how many times the United States needed to encounter setbacks before recognising the realities on the ground, adding that experience should have shown the language of force and threats was not only ineffective against Iran but worsened conditions for Washington and other adversaries.

Tehran handed over its 14-point proposal late on April 30 through Pakistani mediators in response to a nine-point US plan, Tasnim and Iranian state media have previously reported.

Iranian demands include a 30-day timeline to end the war rather than the two-month ceasefire proposed by Washington, guarantees against future military aggression, the withdrawal of US forces from Iran's periphery, an end to the naval blockade, the release of frozen assets, the payment of reparations, the lifting of sanctions, an end to fighting in Lebanon and a new control mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump on May 5 paused the US Navy's "Project Freedom" operation aimed at escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress in talks.

He warned in a Truth Social post that bombing would resume "at a much higher level and intensity than it was before" if Iran did not agree to a deal. Oil prices have fallen, with Brent crude futures sliding to $102 per barrel, though still well above pre-war levels of around $70 per barrel.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world's oil flows, has remained effectively closed to tanker traffic for weeks. The conflict began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and a ceasefire has been in place since April 8.

White House officials have said Iranian leadership is divided, making consensus difficult, and some US officials remain sceptical that even an initial deal will be reached.

"After Trump's retreat, Iran has resumed its assessments in this area and will inform the mediator whenever it reaches a conclusion," the informed source told Tasnim.