Iran pushing accelerated plan for ceasefire talks with US

What the report says

Iran says it is trying to speed up a ceasefire proposal it has presented to the United States, as indirect diplomacy continues through mediators Qatar and Pakistan. According to Al Jazeera’s reporting, Tehran says the seven-step plan announced last month has not changed in substance, but officials now say it could be carried out within two days rather than over a longer period.

The reported plan includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz quickly and resuming talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the timetable had been shortened, while stressing that the outcome still depends on Washington’s response. Iran’s demands, as described in the article, include lifting sanctions, ending strikes, easing restrictions on its ports and agreeing to a broader regional ceasefire.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is prepared for diplomacy and for military confrontation if talks fail. State media also reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had granted the government expanded authority to accelerate negotiations. The comments come amid fears of further escalation in the regional conflict and ahead of the US midterm elections, after US President Donald Trump said the talks were going well but also suggested possible military action. The reporting highlights the fragile mix of diplomacy and threat shaping the standoff.