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Where do US-Iran peace talks stand now? Trump says 'on the borderline'
Iran on Wednesday said it had received the points of view of the American side – a new proposal – and was currently examining them.
Situation remains tense in the Middle East, even as Iran and the United States are reportedly looking to finalise terms for an agreement to end the ongoing war. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that the two sides are "on the borderline".
Meanwhile, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said that all paths remain open from Tehran's side. However, he asserted that forcing Iran to surrender "through coercion is nothing but an illusion." Follow US-Iran war news live updates
Deal proposals: Send and reject
In the past few days, Iran and the US have gone back and forth with proposals to reach a deal to end the war. However, both sides have had their aversions and rejections, especially regarding Iran's nuclear programme.
After the US's proposal, which Iran rejected due to the nuclear demands, Tehran sent another revised 14-point offer to Washington via Pakistani mediators. However, that proposal was reportedly thought of as "insufficient", Axios had reported.
Trump holds off strikes on Iran
On Monday, Trump announced that he was "holding off" the planned strikes on Iran at the request of the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He said his Gulf allies told him that serious talks were now taking place, assuring him that a "deal will be made" -- a deal that Trump said would definitely include the "no nuclear weapon for Iran" prospect.
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The US President was reportedly just "an hour away" from ordering the strikes before he held off the attack.
Trump's 'another big hit' warning
On Tuesday, Trump said that he would wait maybe two or three days before deciding on resuming the military campaign against Iran.
Though he hoped not to go to war again, "but we may have to give them another big hit," the US President added.
When reporters asked him how long he would wait, Trump said, "Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday; something maybe early next week — a limited period of time."
Iran examining latest US proposal
On Wednesday, the US sent another proposal to Iran via a Pakistani mediator to end the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Shortly after, Iran said it was examining the latest US proposal. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the Islamic Republic had "received the points of view of the American side and we are currently examining them."
Baghaei reiterated Iran's demands, including the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad and an end to the US blockade on Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said that Tehran has consistently honoured its commitments and explored every avenue to avert war. "All paths remain open from our side," he added.
In a post X, Pezeshkian further stated that forcing Iran to surrender "through coercion is nothing but an illusion." He added, "Mutual respect in diplomacy is far wiser, safer, and more sustainable than war."
Earlier, Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the US wanted to restart the war, after Trump said he would attack Tehran unless the Islamic Republic agreed to a peace deal.
"The enemy's movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war," Ghalibaf said.
Talks on 'borderline', says Trump
US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters, said that Washington was in the "final stages" of negotiations with Tehran.
He, however, warned that the US would do "nasty" things if a deal is not reached. "We'll either have a deal or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty. But hopefully that won't happen," Trump said. He asserted that the US may have to hit Iran “even harder or maybe not”.
The US President said that he was in no hurry, adding that he would like to see a few people killed, "as opposed to a lot."
Trump also said that the talks with Iran are "right on the borderline, believe me."
The US President said that he would wait for “a few days” for Iran's response. "If we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go. We have to get the right answers -- it would have to be a complete 100 percent good answers," he added.
The US President said that it would save a "lot of time, energy and lives" if Iran agreed to a deal, saying it could happen "very quickly, or (in) a few days."
