Iran was the party that initiated the 10-day ceasefire proposal now being advanced by international mediators, two officials familiar with the negotiations told i24NEWS. The officials said Tehran’s initiative reflects the urgency it places on stopping the fighting as American strikes expand and President Trump weighs a return to a broader campaign against Iran.

Senior officials from Qatar, Egypt, Oman and Pakistan are mediating between Washington and Tehran and delivered the Iranian proposal to the United States. The discussions also produced additional ideas, including the creation of a “middle route” through the Strait of Hormuz, between waters controlled by Oman and those controlled by Iran, that would allow vessels to pass safely.

The United States is demanding that any ceasefire last longer than 10 days and that preliminary understandings on freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz be reached before it takes effect. Under the proposal, the remaining agreements could be completed during the ceasefire period. One official said at least some senior Trump administration officials have described the Iranian proposal as “absurd” and “illogical.”

The proposed pause is intended to provide time to resolve the dispute surrounding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the central issue that caused last month’s memorandum of understanding between the two sides to collapse after both effectively declared that it was no longer valid.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)