Iran: Tehran administration responds positively to Pakistan's proposal

Following US President Donald Trump's statement that intense airstrikes would be launched against the country if no agreement is reached with Iran, the deadline given to the Tehran administration is nearing its end. In this process, an announcement came from Iran following Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's call for the US to delay attacks on Iran for 2 weeks and for Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to passage during this period. An unnamed Iranian official speaking to the UK-based Reuters reported that the Tehran administration views the proposal in question positively.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, spoke to the US-based Fox News regarding the diplomatic traffic on the Washington-Tehran line amidst the hot developments and rising tensions. While stating that the time granted to Iran is about to expire, Trump expressed that negotiations with the Tehran administration are ongoing. When asked for his assessment of the current diplomatic process, Trump said, "I don't want to tell you because we are in the middle of intense negotiations right now."

Prime Minister Sharif's call

Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif had stated, "Diplomatic efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the ongoing war in the Middle East are following a determined, strong, and effective course with the potential to yield concrete results in the near future. I sincerely request President Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks so that diplomacy can continue." Requesting that Iran also open the Strait of Hormuz to passage during this period, Sharif had said, "Pakistan sincerely requests our Iranian brothers to open the Strait of Hormuz for a two-week period as a gesture of goodwill."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had reported that Trump was informed about Pakistan's proposal and that the US President would make a statement regarding whether or not he accepts the proposal.

News Source: 12punto