Iran is reviewing the United States’ response to a seven-day diplomatic proposal presented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during his visit to New York, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Sunday, as efforts continue to break the months-long deadlock between Tehran and Washington.
Gharibabadi said Iran’s proposal had been conveyed to the US through intermediaries and Washington had subsequently communicated its views. Tehran is now examining those comments internally before deciding on its formal response.
“The proposal that Mr Araghchi outlined in New York, Iran’s seven-day plan, was sent to the United States through intermediaries, and they provided their views on the plan,” Gharibabadi said.
He said Washington’s views were currently being reviewed in Iran. Once Tehran reaches a final position, it will communicate its response through the appropriate diplomatic channels.
The deputy foreign minister did not disclose the contents of Washington’s response or indicate whether the differences between the two sides had narrowed sufficiently to allow the proposal to move forward.
Araghchi unveiled the proposal during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. At the heart of the plan is an arrangement under which Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore normal maritime passage within seven days if the United States accepted a series of reciprocal steps.
Iran has sought the lifting of the US blockade on its ports, restoration of sanctions waivers for oil sales and access to some Iranian assets frozen overseas. Tehran has said that implementation of the initial steps could then be followed by renewed negotiations with Washington on a broader final settlement.
Araghchi had said the seven-day timeline would begin only after the United States formally accepted the plan. According to the Iranian proposal, actions required from Washington could be completed within the first few days, allowing the Strait of Hormuz to reopen by the sixth day and negotiations on a final agreement to begin on the seventh.
The diplomatic exchanges have largely been conducted indirectly, with Qatar playing a key mediating role. Pakistan has also been involved in efforts to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran.
Mediators have continued shuttling between the two sides despite US President Donald Trump publicly expressing dissatisfaction with Iran’s original proposal. Washington and Tehran remain divided over both the substance of a potential settlement and the order in which concessions would be implemented.
The United States has sought a broader agreement covering outstanding disputes, including Iran’s nuclear programme, while Tehran has pushed for a phased process beginning with the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions-related measures.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a central element of the negotiations because of its importance to global energy supplies and maritime trade. Iran has linked the restoration of normal traffic through the strategic waterway to reciprocal measures by Washington.
Araghchi has maintained that reopening the strait could happen rapidly if the United States accepted Tehran’s conditions. Iran’s position has been that the initial agreement should create conditions for subsequent negotiations rather than require every outstanding dispute to be settled simultaneously.
The sequencing of measures remains one of the principal sticking points. Tehran wants the US to take specified economic and maritime steps before broader negotiations begin, while Washington has pushed for stronger commitments as part of a wider settlement.
Gharibabadi indicated that Iran was keeping diplomatic channels open but was not relying exclusively on negotiations. He said Tehran would continue to pursue diplomacy while remaining prepared for “other scenarios” should the diplomatic process fail.
His remarks underline the uncertainty surrounding the latest exchange. Neither side has announced an agreement, and Iran’s review of the US response is still underway.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has separately said Iran would make every effort to bring an agreement to fruition while protecting what Tehran considers the rights and interests of the Iranian people. He has called for any settlement to be based on a “win-win” approach.
The latest development marks a further stage in the indirect diplomacy that intensified around the UN General Assembly meetings in New York. Araghchi used the gathering to outline Iran’s conditions and hold discussions with mediators, who subsequently carried proposals and responses between Tehran and Washington.
With Washington’s response now in Iranian hands, the immediate decision rests with Tehran. Iran’s final assessment of the US position will determine whether the seven-day proposal becomes the basis for another round of negotiations or whether the two sides return to a deeper diplomatic and military confrontation.