Iran delivered a formal response Thursday to the latest U.S. amendments on ending the war, signaling that diplomatic channels remain open even as President Trump escalates military pressure and considers new offensive operations.
The response came through Pakistani intermediaries and marks a shift from the breakdown in talks that seemed imminent weeks earlier. A regional source confirmed to Axios that Tehran has formally engaged with Washington's revised proposals.
The sequence unfolded rapidly. Last weekend, Iran submitted its own plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and terminate the conflict, with nuclear discussions deferred to later negotiations. The White House then moved quickly. On Monday, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff countered with a list of amendments designed to pull nuclear matters back into the immediate agreement, including a demand that Iran pledge not to transfer enriched uranium from damaged nuclear facilities or resume operations at those sites during ongoing negotiations.
Trump struck a contradictory tone in public remarks Thursday. "Nobody knows what the talks are except myself and a couple of other people," he told reporters in the Oval Office, suggesting Iran desperately wanted a settlement while insisting the U.S. held leverage. Iran has characterized the situation differently, claiming it is Trump who is hungry for a deal.
Behind closed doors, the Trump administration signaled it was preparing for confrontation as much as negotiation. That afternoon, Trump convened his national security team for a 45-minute session in the White House Situation Room focused entirely on Iran strategy. Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Witkoff all attended.
The military dimension loomed large. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine briefed the group on new plans for possible military operations against Iran, according to two U.S. officials. Trump is already maintaining a naval blockade, and these additional options appear designed to preserve his ability to act if talks stall.
The diplomacy itself remains opaque. Neither side has disclosed detailed terms or conditions. Iran's willingness to send a formal response suggests both parties see value in continued engagement, yet the simultaneous military preparations indicate neither trusts the process will succeed.
Author James Rodriguez: "The simultaneous drumbeat of diplomacy and war drums is classic Trump theater, but Tehran's response suggests they're taking the opening seriously even if nobody's buying anyone's optimistic rhetoric."
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