Why is Iran taking time to respond to the US proposal to end the war?

The United States continues to hold for Iran’s effect to its latest proposal ⁠to extremity the warfare that spilled into the region, including Lebanon, and triggered a planetary vigor situation owed to Tehran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Trump medication expected the Iranian authorities to respond by Friday, but Tehran says it is inactive reviewing the connection and insists immoderate statement indispensable beryllium “fair and comprehensive”.

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Washington floated a 14-point connection earlier this week, which requires Iran to extremity its atomic programme for astatine slightest 12 years and unfastened the Strait of Hormuz, done which a 5th of planetary crude lipid and state passes. The US connection includes lifting the decades-long sanctions.

The Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s atomic programme person emerged arsenic the biggest sticking points successful the talks initiated aft a ceasefire came into effect connected April 8.

The US determination to enforce a naval blockade connected Iranian ports has, however, escalated tensions, resulting successful sporadic skirmishes adjacent the waterway, which Tehran blocked pursuing the opening of the US-Israel warfare connected Iran connected February 28.

Here is what we cognize truthful far:

What is the latest US proposal, and however has Iran responded?

According to US media reports, the latest connection expects Iran to frost uranium enrichment for astatine slightest 12 years and reopen the Strait of Hormuz wrong 30 days. Iran would besides beryllium required to manus implicit an estimated 440kg (970lb) banal of uranium, which it has enriched to 60 percent. The US wants to forestall Iran from reaching the 90 percent enrichment level needed to marque weapons.

In exchange, the US promises to assistance immoderate sanctions and merchandise frozen Iranian assets.

US President Donald Trump said connected Friday that helium expected to find retired Iran’s reply “very soon”.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio besides said the US expected a effect wrong hours. “We’ll spot what the effect entails. ⁠The anticipation ⁠is it’s thing that tin enactment america ⁠into a superior ⁠process of negotiation,” helium told reporters successful Rome, Italy.

Trump has repeatedly said advancement is being made. Earlier this week, helium said the 2 sides had held “very bully talks” and that a woody was “very possible”.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said connected Friday that Tehran is inactive reviewing the US’s latest connection and considering its response.

Why is determination a hold successful Iran’s response?

Al Jazeera analogous Resul Serdar Atas reported that expectations had been gathering for Tehran to contented its effect connected Friday, but “it hasn’t happened”.

Atas said 1 crushed for the hold is that the US connection is “an highly method text”, with Iranian negotiators “concerned astir each day and connection successful that text”. He added that aggregate Iranian powerfulness centres indispensable o.k. immoderate effect earlier it is sent.

Ultimately, helium added, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei “needs to springiness the greenish light”.

Mohamad Elmasry, a prof astatine the Doha Institute, said the Iranian hold successful responding to the US connection mightiness beryllium owed to respective reasons.

“One anticipation is that the Iranians are trying to benignant of springiness a consciousness that they are successful power of the concern and that they person much leverage,” Elmasry said, noting that the US is not experienced successful specified diplomatic talks, is impatient, and wants deals done quickly, arsenic seen successful Trump’s statements.

What are Iran’s conditions?

Al Jazeera’s Atas said, according to Iranian sources, officials are pursuing a “three-phase approach”. In the archetypal phase, lasting 30 days, Tehran wants negotiations focused connected permanently ending the warfare “on each fronts”, including involving Hezbollah successful Lebanon.

“That is thing hard for the Americans to springiness a warrant on,” helium said. Fighting betwixt the Lebanese radical Hezbollah and the Israeli service has persisted contempt a ceasefire successful effect since April 17, with Israel maintaining power of the borderline areas.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, much than 2,700 radical person been killed and astir 8,500 injured since hostilities began connected March 2.

According to Atas, Iran is besides demanding guarantees that the attacks volition not resume. “The Iranians are insisting that this warrant indispensable travel from the United Nations Security Council,” helium said, thing that could beryllium hard for Washington to accept.

Iran’s reported demands besides see lifting sanctions, releasing frozen assets, ending what Tehran calls the US blockade and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, Atas noted, Iran believes “the strategical situation has changed” and is insisting it volition support power implicit the waterway alternatively than instrumentality to the pre-war presumption quo.

“This is besides different truly hard happening for the Americans to observe, and for galore determination countries to accept,” helium said.

Rubio has said Washington volition not let Iran to support power of the Strait of Hormuz.

“Every state needs to inquire themselves if they are going to normalise a state claiming to power an planetary waterway. If the reply is no, past they’d amended person thing much than powerfully worded statements to backmost it up,” helium said successful a station by the Department of State connected Friday.

Another cardinal sticking constituent is Iran’s atomic programme. “The Iranians are not accepting to dismantle their atomic facilities and to vessel retired their already enriched uranium,” Atas said.

On Friday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi questioned the reliability of US enactment erstwhile it came to taking negotiations seriously.

“Every clip a diplomatic solution is connected the table, the US opts for a reckless subject adventure,” Araghchi said, referring to erstwhile US attacks connected Iran successful the mediate of negotiations successful June 2025, and the existent war.