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Iran says progress made with US on peace talks proposal, gaps remain

May. 23, 2026 • 2 min read
Image of Iran says progress made with US on peace talks proposal, gaps remain People walk past a mural depicting a US aircraft carrier under missile attack in downtown Tehran on May 17, 2026. Photo: AP

If an agreement is reached, the two sides would then have 30 days to hold more in-depth talks.

 

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran on Saturday said it has worked towards converging opinions with the US in a 14-point proposal to continue peace talks, adding that there are still gaps despite the progress made. US President Donald Trump said he will review the latest draft later in the day.

 

“Our focus at this stage is on ending the imposed war with the details you more or less know, based on Iran's 14-point proposal which has been exchanged several times,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told Iranian media.

 

He added that the requests from the warring sides have come closer and “we must wait and see what will happen in the next three to four days.”

 

Hours later, Trump told Axios he would be holding a meeting with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner later in the day to discuss the latest draft by Iran, adding it was a “solid 50/50” whether he would make a deal or “blow them to kingdom come.”

 

If an agreement is reached, the two sides would then have 30 days to hold more in-depth talks.

 

The US-Israel war with Iran began in late February until the two sides reached a ceasefire in April, ending hostilities for the most part.

 

Following the ceasefire, the two sides have held one round of face-to-face talks mediated by Pakistan that resulted in no deal. Since then they have traded proposals for a comprehensive peace agreement, with Iran calling Washington’s demands excessive and Washington dubbing Tehran’s unacceptable.

 

Pakistan has continued efforts as the official mediator with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visiting Tehran last week, followed by Army Chief Asim Munir, who arrived Friday, meeting with senior Iranian officials in a push for ending the war.

 

Separately, a Qatari delegation also visited Tehran on Friday to support mediation efforts.

 

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there is a chance for news on Iran “whether it’s later today, tomorrow, in a couple of days.”

 

On Thursday, Rubio said Washington remains committed to a prospective deal with Tehran, adding that Trump’s preference “is always diplomacy” but he maintains other options should an accord not be reached.

 

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