Iran Proposes a 'Three-Stage Negotiation Plan'

The weekend just passed saw the regrettable failure to successfully restart the US-Iran talks, yet both sides are still exploring ways to move forward. US President Trump expressed his desire for Iran to proactively contact the US, while Iran has proposed a three-stage negotiation plan.

Trump stated on Sunday (local time, the 26th) that if Iran wishes to see an end to the two-month-old war through negotiations, they could call the US. However, he emphasized that Tehran can never possess nuclear weapons. Concurrently, despite the absence of their American counterparts, Iran's foreign minister returned to Pakistan for talks.

In an interview on Sunday, Trump said, “If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, we have phones. We have secure and reliable lines.”

Meanwhile, sources from Iran stated that Iran has conveyed a three-stage negotiation plan to the US through intermediaries, expressing that if the US agrees to the plan, negotiations can resume.

Specifically, according to the aforementioned sources, the first phase of negotiations focuses on completely ending the war and obtaining guarantees against the renewed launch of war against Iran and Lebanon. Reports indicate, “In this phase, Iran will not discuss any other issues.”

If an agreement is reached in the first phase, the parties will proceed to the second phase, which will specifically address how to manage the Strait of Hormuz. It is reported that the plan envisions coordination with Oman to establish a new legal framework for managing this strategic waterway.

The third phase is related to discussions on nuclear issues, but Iran will absolutely not engage in nuclear talks before agreements are reached in the first two phases.

The day before, Trump canceled a trip by special presidential envoy Wietkov and son-in-law Kushner to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran, which dashed hopes of rekindling peace efforts. Iran's foreign minister, Araghchi, arrived in Pakistan last Friday. Iran had previously made it clear that Araghchi's trip did not include arrangements for talks with the US.

Pakistani independent political analyst Syed Mohammad Ali stated that the postponement of talks should not be seen as a setback, as indirect negotiations are still ongoing. He noted that tensions between Washington and Tehran cannot be eased overnight, and the negotiation process requires patience.

“But the good news is that the ceasefire agreement is being maintained, and both sides want to end the conflict in a way that will not backfire domestically,” he commented.

Last week, Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire agreement reached by the US and Iran on April 7th, which largely stopped the fighting that began with a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28th. However, a permanent solution to this war that has claimed thousands of lives and shaken the global economy remains elusive.