The White House believes that a revised Iranian proposal aimed at advancing an end to the war does not represent a meaningful improvement and remains insufficient to secure an agreement, Axios reported, citing a senior US official and another source familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump is seeking a deal to end the conflict, but US officials are also weighing the possibility of renewed military action due to Iran’s refusal to meet key US demands regarding its nuclear program.
Two US officials told Axios that Trump is expected to convene senior national security officials in the Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss military options.
A senior US official quoted in the report said the updated Iranian proposal, which was conveyed to Washington through Pakistani mediation on Sunday night, contained only limited changes from previous versions.
The proposal reportedly includes broader language regarding Iran’s commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons, but does not include detailed commitments concerning uranium enrichment or Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The report also said the US rejected claims in Iranian state media that Washington had agreed to sanctions relief during the talks. According to the official cited by Axios, the US position remains that sanctions relief would require reciprocal steps by Tehran.
“We are really not making a lot of progress. We are at a very serious place today," the senior US official said, according to the report.
Contacts between the United States and Iran are continuing through Pakistani mediation amid efforts to establish a diplomatic framework that could ease tensions between the sides.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Washington had shown flexibility in discussions with Tehran, including regarding restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program. According to the official, the United States has agreed at this stage to unfreeze 25 percent of Iran’s frozen funds under a defined timetable.
The Iranian official said Tehran is demanding the release of all frozen assets, as well as a permanent end to the war, the lifting of sanctions, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistani sources previously said the updated Iranian proposal included a commitment not to produce nuclear weapons, but did not address the issue of enriched uranium or developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s current focus is on ending the war and insisted that Iran would not relinquish what he described as its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“We are advancing diplomacy seriously, but we do not intend to surrender to the contradictory behavior and threats of the parties against us," Baghaei said.