Iran announced on Thursday that the latest proposal from the United States has partly bridged the gap between the warring sides, as both nations seek to transform a fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement. According to the semi-official Iranian Students' News Agency, Tehran is currently formulating a response to a text submitted by the US, which “has narrowed the gaps to some extent.” The report did not specify the source of this information. The agency added, “Further narrowing requires an end to the temptation for war on Washington’s part.”
Iran’s 14-Point Proposal and Key Demands
The exchange of messages is based on Iran’s 14-point text presented several weeks ago, as confirmed by the Iranian foreign ministry. That plan essentially proposes a short-term agreement under which Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and the US would lift the blockade of Iranian ports. Subsequently, both sides would engage in deeper negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Iran has not indicated when it will formally respond to the US. The Iranian foreign ministry reiterated its demand for a commitment that fighting will end “on all fronts, including Lebanon.” It also called for the unfreezing of sanctioned assets.
Trump Vows to Retrieve Iran’s Uranium
President Donald Trump vowed on Thursday that the US will eventually recover Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, despite Iran’s statements that it will not hand over the material. “We will get it. We don’t need it, we don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let them have it,” Trump told reporters at the White House. Iran is believed to possess approximately 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, which Trump claims was buried by US and Israeli airstrikes nearly a year ago. Two senior Iranian sources disclosed that Iran’s supreme leader has issued a directive prohibiting the export of the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium.
Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Authority Claims Emirati Waters
Iran’s newly established body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz has asserted that its claimed area of control extends into Emirati waters, drawing a sharp rebuke from the Gulf neighbor. In a post on X on Wednesday accompanied by a map, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority outlined what it described as “the regulatory jurisdiction for the management” of the strait. The authority stated that this jurisdiction covers the area between the line extending from “Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to the south of Fujairah in the UAE... to the line connecting the tip of Qeshm island in Iran to Umm Al-Quwain in the UAE.” It added that “transit through this area requires coordination with, and authorisation from, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.” The UAE’s Fujairah port hosts oil infrastructure designed to bypass the strategic waterway. Emirati presidential adviser Anwar Gargash slammed the move on Thursday, posting on X, “The regime is trying to establish a new reality born from a clear military defeat, but attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz or infringe on the UAE’s maritime sovereignty are nothing but pipe dreams.”
