Iran says reviewing new US peace proposal as exchange of messages continues through Pakistan

Iran said Thursday it is reviewing and responding to a negotiation text received from the United States, as Pakistan steps up mediation efforts to bridge gaps between the two sides. Meanwhile, U.S. officials acknowledged "positive signs" in the talks but cautioned that a final agreement remains uncertain.

The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported on Thursday that Iran is preparing its response to the latest draft proposal sent by the United States to end the conflict.

According to the ISNA, the U.S. draft has narrowed the existing gaps to some extent, but the gaps' further reduction requires an end to the U.S. "temptation of war".

It added that Iran is currently negotiating in Tehran on a broad framework, some details, and confidence-building measures as guarantees.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Thursday that Iran is focused on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Claims raised in the media about nuclear issues, including enriched material or enrichment, are merely media speculation and lack credibility, Baghaei said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that there are "some good signs" during the ongoing negotiations but he does not want to be "overly optimistic."

"If we can get a good deal done, that would be great... But if we can't get a good deal, the President's been clear he has other options," Rubio said, adding that Washington would "see what happens" over the next few days.

Pakistan has played a role in facilitating dialogue. A Pakistani senator told media that trilateral consultations remain active and have yielded progress, expressing optimism about the outlook.

Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, a key mediator, was expected in Tehran Thursday in an attempt to broker a peace deal between the United States and Iran.

A Chinese representative to the United Nations on Thursday called on the United States to fulfill its financial obligations as a state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to pay its outstanding dues.

The urging came during the 2026 NPT Review Conference, which reviewed and adopted its cost-sharing arrangement on Thursday.

"China believes that states parties should pay their dues for the Review Conferences of the NPT and related meetings in full and on time. We commend all states parties that have already fulfilled their payment obligations. We hope that the United States will, in accordance with the current scale of assessments, promptly pay the outstanding 420,000 U.S. dollars it owes for the current Review Conference, and earnestly fulfill its financial obligations as a state party," said the Chinese representative.