Overview
Mediators stationed in Pakistan say they expect Iran to submit a revised plan within days that is intended to bring the war to an end. The timing follows an indication from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would not accept the earlier version of Iran's proposal, according to sources close to the mediation effort who spoke to CNN.
Diplomatic movements
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi returned to Tehran on Tuesday after traveling to Russia. The sources said Aragchi will be consulting with leaders of the Iranian regime to discuss next steps. The consultation process is proceeding slowly, the sources added, because of challenges in establishing communication with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. For security reasons his location has been kept undisclosed, which the sources described as complicating the pace of decision-making.
State of the mediation
Those close to the talks characterised the mediation process as ongoing and fluid. They said any meaningful movement toward ending hostilities will largely hinge on whether Iran can produce a revised proposal that is more acceptable to the United States. No timetable beyond the expectation of "within the coming days" was provided, and the sources emphasised the conditional nature of progress.
Context and limitations
The information available to mediators and the public remains limited. The sources who provided these details to CNN are described as having close knowledge of the mediation process, but they also highlighted the fragility of communications with senior Iranian leadership. As a result, the trajectory of the talks depends on internal consultations in Tehran and Washington's response to any updated submission from Iran.
Implications for observers
Observers will be watching whether a revised submission arrives in the expected window and whether it addresses the concerns identified by the United States. Until Iran presents a proposal that Washington finds acceptable, the mediators describe the process as unsettled.