Iran has sent Washington a fresh proposal on its nuclear programme through Qatar, according to Masood Khan, a former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, in a development that has raised hopes of movement after months of confrontation.
Under the formula described by Khan, Tehran could agree to bring uranium enrichment down to 3.6 per cent, the level regarded as suitable for civilian use. The fate of Iran’s existing stockpile of enriched uranium, however, remains a major sticking point between the two sides.
A senior Iranian official confirmed to the Reuters news agency that the United States was reviewing the proposal. But formal talks are not yet in sight. Senior security official Mohsen Rezaei has said negotiations cannot begin, and the Strait of Hormuz cannot reopen, until Iran’s seven conditions are accepted and put into effect.
Those conditions include the lifting of American sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and payment of war reparations. Washington, for its part, is insisting that the nuclear question be part of any opening round of discussions.
Qatar has been carrying messages between the two capitals, and its emir discussed the mediation effort with President Donald Trump on Friday, according to Doha. Khan said Pakistan, Qatar and Oman were continuing joint diplomatic efforts aimed at regional security and a peaceful settlement, and credited Islamabad with helping bring the two sides towards the table.
Khan also warned that any new round of military strikes between the United States and Iran could set off a severe economic crisis reaching beyond the Middle East to the rest of the world. He said ending Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and across the region, and securing an immediate ceasefire, remained among Pakistan’s top priorities.
Nothing has been agreed. The proposal is under review in Washington, and the two sides remain far apart on sequencing: Tehran wants its conditions met before nuclear talks begin, while Washington wants nuclear limits discussed from the outset.
