President Donald Trump has publicly rejected Iran's formal reply to the latest US ceasefire proposal, calling it "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE" on his Truth Social platform. Iran delivered the response through Pakistani mediators, escalating diplomatic tensions even as military posturing on both sides continues.

Pakistan's role at the center of this channel is now explicit. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed at a public ceremony that Field Marshal Asim Munir informed him Iran's response had been received, and that Islamabad relayed it to Washington promptly. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has also been credited with leading Pakistan's mediation effort. A Pakistani official involved in the talks confirmed the sequence: Iran completed internal consultations, finalized its reply at the leadership level, handed it to Pakistani intermediaries, and Islamabad forwarded it to the US.

What Iran Actually Proposed

Iranian officials say Tehran's response was deliberately staged. The proposal suggested that the current phase of talks focus solely on ending active hostilities, particularly in Lebanon and on the safety of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while harder issues like sanctions relief and the nuclear program would be deferred to later rounds. Iranian sources described the response as reflecting internal political consensus and said the initiative now rests with Washington. That framing clearly did not satisfy Trump, though he gave no specifics about what he found objectionable.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian moved quickly to frame the negotiating posture domestically. He wrote on X that "negotiation does not mean surrender or retreat," stressing that any dialogue aims to defend Iranian national rights, not concede them. Hours before the response was sent, Iran's top military commander, Major General Ali Abdullahi, briefed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on the full combat readiness of the armed forces, army, IRGC, border forces, the Defence Ministry, and the Basij. Khamenei reportedly ordered new confrontational measures in response, framing the conflict as Iran's "Third Imposed War."

Regional Diplomacy Broadens

Qatar is stepping up alongside Pakistan's mediation quartet, which also includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye. Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke with PM Shehbaz over the weekend after holding consultations with US officials, signaling that Washington is working multiple diplomatic tracks in parallel. Qatar has historically served as one of Tehran's preferred backchannel partners in the Gulf.

A small but pointed gesture added texture to the talks: Iran allowed a Qatari LNG tanker bound for Pakistan to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The move simultaneously reassured Pakistan of continued energy access, reinforced Qatar's value as a bridge, and sent a signal that Tehran has not fully closed the door on diplomacy, even as its military leadership publicly warns of a swift and powerful response to any US or Israeli military action.

Iran also added a structural demand: any eventual agreement must be guaranteed by China and Russia and validated by the UN Security Council, according to Iran's envoy to Beijing. That condition alone would complicate any deal Washington could accept. With Trump's public rejection now on record and Iranian forces on declared high alert, the next move, whether a revised US proposal or a breakdown of the Pakistan-led channel, will determine how quickly this diplomatic window narrows.