The region is witnessing an accelerated escalation at the military and diplomatic levels, with the continuation of the exchange of strikes between Iran and Israel, and the intensification of international contacts to try to establish a ceasefire, at a time when the parties' positions on the terms of any possible agreement are different.
Pakistan proposes framework to end war
Pakistani sources said that Islamabad has set a framework for ending hostilities and has exchanged the proposal with Iran and the United States, with the support of China and Washington, and Reuters quoted the sources as saying that the proposal includes a temporary ceasefire, in addition to a regional framework for the Strait of Hormuz, with the final talks to be held face-to-face in the Pakistani capital.
The sources indicated that Iran and the United States received the plan, which includes an immediate ceasefire followed by a final agreement within 15 to 20 days, with Iran giving up nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of sanctions and the release of its frozen assets.
The source said that the Pakistani army chief had contacts with US Vice President J.D. Vance, US envoy Steve Whitkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
According to the sources, Washington and Tehran have not yet provided a response, while a senior Iranian official said that Tehran is reviewing the proposal but "will not accept deadlines or pressure," stressing that Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a temporary ceasefire, and that it believes that the United States is "not ready for a permanent ceasefire."
Iran: Diplomatic response ready
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that Tehran has formulated its diplomatic response to the United States and will announce it in due course, stressing that his country has defined its demands in accordance with its national interests and that "the red lines are clear."
Baqai accused Washington of destroying the course of diplomacy over the past months, adding that the world sees the gap between "America's claims and actions."
In a related context, the Iranian Foreign Ministry quoted Minister Abbas Araqchi as warning his French counterpart that Trump's implementation of his threats will have repercussions on global energy and the economy.
Newspaper: Trump is keen on a ceasefire
The Wall Street Journal said the United States may give up some of its demands as part of negotiations with Iran, noting that regional mediators have told Tehran that US President Donald Trump is "keen to reach a ceasefire despite his threats".
But the mediators also conveyed Iranian concerns that Washington could use the 45-day period to prepare for new attacks.
IRGC announces intelligence chief killed
Israel Army Radio said that the Israeli Air Force carried out overnight attacks on three airports and military installations belonging to the Quds Force in Tehran.
In a remarkable development, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the death of its intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, in a US-Israeli attack, before Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Israel's responsibility for the operation.
Katz said Israel would destroy Iran's infrastructure, noting that "significant damage" would be inflicted on Iran's steel and petrochemical industries.
Iran: Attack on Bushehr nuclear power plant 'war crime'
The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has sent a letter to Rafael Grossi, in which he stressed that the US and Israeli attacks on the Bushehr nuclear plant constitute a "war crime", warning that they may lead to the spread of radioactive materials.
Fars news agency also reported that an attack targeted Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, hitting artificial intelligence infrastructure and thousands of associated services.
Israeli media admits to bombing a ship in the Mediterranean
Israel's Channel 14 acknowledged that Hezbollah targeted a ship in the Mediterranean Sea with a surface-to-sea missile, but claimed that the ship was "British" and not Israeli, contrary to the party's announcement that it had hit an Israeli military battleship that was preparing to carry out attacks on Lebanon.
The channel said the missile hit and damaged the ship, calling the operation a "dangerous escalation" by Hizbullah targeting ships at sea. The channel did not specify the date of the attack.
Hezbollah had announced that it had targeted the battleship 68 nautical miles off the Lebanese coast with a naval cruise missile, confirming that it had been directly hit after monitoring it for hours.
There has been no official comment from Israel or Britain on the attack or the narrative circulating in the Israeli media.
Comments (0)