Updated May 7, 2026 at 9:05 AM CDT
Pakistan is hopeful its mediation efforts between the United States and Iran will soon reach a breakthrough after Iran said it was reviewing the Trump administration's latest proposal.
"Our hope and expectation is for an agreement sooner rather than later," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told NPR on Thursday.
NPR has not confirmed the details of the U.S. proposal, and the White House has not made them public.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told the country's ISNA news agency on Wednesday, "The American plan and proposal is still being reviewed by Iran, and after summing up its points of view, Iran will convey its views to the Pakistani side."
The semiofficial news agency said Iran's negotiators were discussing an end of the war — not the nuclear issue, which would come at a later stage of negotiations. ISNA dismissed U.S. news reports about details of a memorandum of understanding as "media speculation."
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Meanwhile, France moved its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Red Sea.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the move Wednesday, following a call with Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
He said in an online message the "forward deployment" of the carrier was part of a multinational mission established by France and Britain in mid-April, which they said at the time was an effort to restore freedom of navigation in the strait. He said the mission "can help restore confidence among shipowners and insurers" and that it would "remain distinct from the warring parties."
"All parties must lift the blockade of the Strait, without delay and without conditions. We must return, on a lasting basis, to the regime of full freedom of navigation that prevailed prior to the conflict," Macron said.
He said he invited the Pezeshkian "to seize this opportunity," and that he "intend to speak with President Trump on this subject."
"A return to calm in the Strait will help advance negotiations regarding nuclear issues, ballistic missiles, and the regional situation," Macron said. "The Europeans—upon whom the lifting of sanctions depends—will play their part in this process."
The Strait of Hormuz — an important passageway for oil, fertilizer and other goods — has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel launched their attack on Iran on Feb. 28, disrupting global energy supplies and pushing up fuel prices. Iran has attacked commercial ships that try to transit the strait without its approval. The U.S. has imposed its naval blockade since April 13. U.S. Central Command said that, as of Wednesday, its blockade had turned around 52 vessels.
On Tuesday, Trump suspended a U.S. military effort to help merchant vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz, but kept in place a U.S. naval blockade on Iran's ports.
"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump wrote online Wednesday morning. "If they don't agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before."
Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be provided, but it was not immediately clear how much the move would reopen the shipping route.
"With the end of the aggressors' threats and in light of new procedures, safe and sustainable transit through the strait will be facilitated," the Revolutionary Guard's navy command said in an online statement. It did not give details about the new terms.
Diaa Hadid contributed reporting from Mumbai, India.
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