Islamabad proposes two-phase deal with immediate halt to hostilities and nuclear commitment; earlier Egyptian and Omani initiatives collapse with no Iranian response
As Pakistan stepped forward Monday with a new diplomatic framework to end the Iran-US-Israel war, Israeli media reported that two previous ceasefire initiatives had already collapsed and that Washington and Jerusalem were actively preparing for a significant escalation of military operations against Tehran.
Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, held overnight contacts with US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to a source familiar with the proposals cited by Reuters. The framework Islamabad transmitted to both sides takes a two-phase approach: an immediate ceasefire that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, followed by a comprehensive agreement to be finalized within fifteen to twenty days. The prospective deal, provisionally named the "Islamabad Agreement," would include Iranian commitments to renounce nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets. Pakistan is currently the sole communication channel between the two sides.
However, Iranian officials had yet to respond as of Monday. "Iran has not yet responded," one Pakistani source said, noting that proposals backed by Pakistan, China, and the United States for a temporary ceasefire had thus far produced no commitment. Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a brief statement declaring that "negotiations are incompatible with ultimatums," accusing the US and Israel of what it described as crimes surpassing those of the Nazi era.
The Pakistani initiative follows the failure of two earlier mediation attempts. According to Israeli media, ceasefire proposals submitted by Egypt and Oman — both calling for a 48-hour pause during which Iran would allow increased tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while the parties exchanged preliminary position papers — received no reply from Tehran. The United States, Israeli media reported, made clear that its demand for the strait's reopening carried no conditions on Iran's part.
Egyptian officials told Washington they believed the delay reflected the difficulty Iran's leadership was experiencing in forming a unified position, scattered as its senior figures are across different bunkers following sustained US and Israeli strikes. Israeli media reported that American forces had the previous day struck an underground command bunker believed to house several commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Against that backdrop, Israeli media reported that President Donald Trump approved expanded attack plans over the weekend, with strikes expected to focus on strategic economic infrastructure — chiefly Iran's oil and petrochemical industries, which are controlled by the Revolutionary Guards and constitute a primary source of regime revenue. Secondary targets, Israeli media added, include power stations, bridges, and railway lines, particularly around Tehran, with the stated objective of crippling the Iranian economy on a scale sufficient to compel the regime to moderate its position.
Israeli and American officials now assess that Iran retains the capacity to continue launching missiles at Israel and Gulf states — albeit at a reduced rate — for approximately another month. Should Iran's leadership continue to resist, Israeli media reported that options under consideration include a complete halt to Iranian oil exports, potentially through seizure or bombardment of Kharg Island, from which the bulk of Iran's tanker traffic departs, or through a US Navy blockade of Iranian maritime routes.
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait have presented a unified position, according to Israeli media, insisting that military pressure must continue until Iran's threat to regional security and to the Strait of Hormuz has been fully neutralised.
Axios reported Sunday that the US, Iran, and regional mediators were discussing a possible 45-day ceasefire as part of a broader two-phase arrangement. President Trump has in recent days pressed publicly for a swift end to the conflict, warning of consequences if a ceasefire is not reached promptly. Energy markets remain highly volatile, with traders tracking every development that could affect oil flows through the strait.