On May 18, 2026, a vehicle passes in front of a giant billboard cheering for the Iranian national soccer team in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, installed on a building in Enhrab Square in Tehran.
– | AFP | Getty Images
Iran said on Thursday it was considering the Trump administration’s latest proposal to end the war, after the US president said he was prepared to wait several more days for “the right answers” from Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said the Islamic Republic had “received and is considering” the American opinion, according to state news agency Nour News.
Baghaei said Pakistan, which hosted the US-Iran peace talks last month, continues to mediate exchanges between Iran and the US, adding that several rounds of communication have taken place based on Iran’s original 14-point framework.
Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir is scheduled to visit the Iranian capital on Thursday as part of ongoing mediation talks between Washington and Tehran, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
Talks to end the Iran war have made little progress in recent weeks, with both sides stuck in an uneasy stalemate as Tehran closes off the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the United States blocks Iranian ports.
Before the war, about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping has virtually stopped since the U.S. and Israeli-led offensive against Iran began on February 28.
“Trust me, if we don’t get the right answers, things will pass quickly. We’re all ready,” President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews.
Asked how long he plans to wait, Trump said: “It could be a few days, but it could be very quickly.”
President Trump has repeatedly threatened new attacks on Iran if the two countries fail to reach a deal and only delay the deadline he has set.
The US president said he was “an hour away” from deciding to attack Iran on Tuesday, but was later persuaded to postpone the attack.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned against further attacks on the country. In a strongly worded statement reported Wednesday, the militia threatened to escalate the Middle East conflict “beyond the region” if the United States and Israel resume attacks in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after disembarking from Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, as he returns to Washington, D.C., after delivering the commencement address to the Class of 2026 at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, May 20, 2026.
Kent Nishimura | AFP | Getty Images
Oil prices rose on Thursday morning as energy market participants closely monitored the outcome of peace talks.
International Brent crude oil futures traded 1.3% higher at $106.37 a barrel, recouping some of the losses from the previous session. us west texas intermediate Futures were last trading 1.3% higher at $99.54 per barrel.
