US, Iran and mediators discuss terms for a 45-day ceasefire

[Twiglets1]

As reported by Axios, the U.S., Iran and a group of regional mediators are discussing the terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, according to four U.S., Israeli and regional sources with knowledge of the talks.

Four sources with knowledge of the diplomatic efforts said the negotiations are taking place through Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators and also through text messages sent between Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

• A U.S. official said the Trump administration gave Iran several proposals in recent days, but so far Iranian officials hadn't accepted them.
• The sources said the mediators are discussing with the parties the terms for two-phased deal; the first phase would a potential 45-day ceasefire during which a permanent end to the war would be negotiated.
• The ceasefire could be extended if more time were needed for talks, one of the sources said.
• The second phase would be an agreement on ending the war.
• The sources said mediators think that fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a solution for Iran's highly enriched Uranium — either through its removal from the country or dilution — could only be a result of a final deal.
• These two issues are Iran's main bargaining chips in the negotiations and the Iranians will not agree to fully give up on them for only 45 days of ceasefire, two of the sources said.
• The mediators want to see whether Iran could take partial step on both issues in the first phase of the deal. They are also working on steps the Trump administration could take to give Iran guarantees that the ceasefire will not be temporary and that the war will not resume.

www.axios.com/2026/04/06/iran-war-us-tehran-ceasefire-talks

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Iran war latest: US jet fires on Iranian ship as part of blockade - despite growing peace talks momentum
Iran appears to be taking steps towards reopening the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic - as the White House is reportedly "close to an agreement" with Tehran.
But a US jet has fired on an Iranian ship to enforce the American blockade of Iran
but Iran had already declared safe passage through the Strait

confused.com

A lot of 4th generation psychological warfare happening right now by both sides to try and discombobulate eachother, hard to tell what's true.

Even if America and Iran are able to come to terms, the elephant in the room will be the Israeli government.

Today, as talk of a breakthrough between America and Iran ramped up through the day, the IDF decided to commence bombing Beirut suburbs for the first time since April 17th, downing whole apartment blocks. Netanyahu says they were targeting a Radwan Hezbollah leader.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crmpjjl02l2o

Classic Israel tactic.
Ramp up the attacks at the first site of a possibility of them ending.

It looks like it was Saudi Arabia who said no to "Project Freedom". They suspended the US access to it's bases. NBC says SA are annoyed that the US announced it without telling anyone in advance.

It looks to me like some of the Gulf States want talks instead of this fucking about.

I can't link NBC cos technical things. Story here.

Saudi Arabia Blocks US Military Access Amid Project Freedom Dispute (timesofislamabad.com)

https://bsky.app/profile/chadbourn.bsky.social/post/3mlaogofd6s2z

Iranian state media is questioning whether an Axios reporter and US state officials are manipulating markets for profit after Axios published reports of an “imminent” deal five times over the last 19 days. No agreement was reached.

It's worth watching Chuck Holton's summing up of what's going on. He's an American ex-military, now freelance reporter. He is a Trump supporter but he's baffled with what's going on and is calling it out, he sounds pretty fed up with it all.

Several news sources reporting explosions near Bandar Abbas (which is in Iran but right on the coast by the SoH);

https://www.turkiyetoday.com/region/explosion-sounds-heard-in-iranian-city-of-bandar-abbas-media-reports-3219566

Iran state media claim the UAE have attacked.

https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/2052473596329800143

updates on Al Jazeera

‘ Iran accuses US of violating ceasefire
A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters says the US has violated the ceasefire by targeting an Iranian oil tanker moving from Iranian coastal waters in the Jask region towards the Strait of Hormuz, as well as another ship entering the Strait of Hormuz opposite the UAE port of Fujairah, according to Iran’s IRIB broadcaster.
In a statement, the spokesperson said the US also “carried out air strikes on civilian areas in cooperation with some countries in the region on the coasts of Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island”.
Iran’s military “also immediately and in retaliation attacked American military vessels east of the Strait of Hormuz and south of Chabahar port, causing significant damage to them”, the statement read.
The spokesperson warned the US and its allies that Iran “will give a crushing response to any aggression … without the slightest hesitation”.

‘US Central Command (CENTCOM) says American forces intercepted “unprovoked Iranian attacks” and responded with “self-defense strikes” as US Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman on May 7.’

US Navy Military vessels are not permitted in The SOH.

‘ There appears to be a tit-for-tat amid push for Dilomacy

Reporting from Washington, DC by K Helket
What is interesting, and not surprising in this hostility, is the fact that each side is blaming the other for this escalation that is occurring right now.
There seems to be a tit-for-tat that’s taking place right now between these two sides. Ironically, it comes as there is a push for diplomacy.’

No idea what is really going on

Stolen from social media this is likely the timeline :

1. Fujairah port in the UAE was attacked, which Iran denied responsibility for - 48h ago.

2️⃣ Saudi Arabia & Kuwait cut off US access to their airbases - 24h ago.

3️⃣ US decision to stop “Project Freedom” yesterday.

4️⃣ Today at noon, the US attacked an Iranian tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

5️⃣ Saudi Arabia & Kuwait reversed decision to limit US access to their airbases - 6h ago

6️⃣ Iran attacks 3 US Navy ships that were trying to transit through the Strait.

7️⃣ US attacked Qeshm Island and Minab in response to Iran's attacks on Fujairah & its ships.

8️⃣ Iran downs 2 hostile drones

9️⃣ US says ceasefire is not over.

Number 1 is really interesting as Larry Johnson (former CIA analyst) and others were hearing from their contacts that Fujairah was hit by friendly fire by the US as when they attempted the stunt of passing through Hormuz earlier this week the US navy did not expect Iran to actually fire on them and had to take evasive action while firing.

https://bsky.app/profile/chadbourn.bsky.social/post/3mlg7lzka3c2u

The scale of Trump’s catastrophic failure in Iran is still emerging.

Tehran University Professor of American Studies Foad Izadi: “The Trump administration sought to change Iran's government. They haven't been able to do that.

“In fact, the leaders they assassinated were more lenient and accommodating than those who replaced them.

“The new Iranian leaders are younger, more energetic and have concluded that the US only understands the language of force.”

Indeed. And I would say this is why it is daft to assassinate an entire leadership if you don't have an alternate ready to go.

This article was published on CNN a few hours ago. An ultra hardline faction might be gaining power.

‘Super Revolutionaries’: The radical Iranian hardliners bent on sabotaging any deal with the US | CNN

Another 'as predicted' by US intelligence?

It's all going well

That's them told, then!

Iran replied according to Tasnim

"We just now saw the reaction of the "so‑called President of the United States" to Iran's response. It has no importance; no one in Iran writes plans to please Trump. The negotiating team must write plans only for the rights of the Iranian nation, and when Trump is not satisfied with it, naturally it is better.
Trump generally does not like reality; for this reason he is constantly defeated by Iran."

And just breaking on Sky News

Iran rejects US plan - Iranian media

Iran has rejected the US plan, Iranian media are now reporting.

The plan "would have meant Tehran’s submission to Trump’s excessive demands", the state-owned Press TV reports.

"Iran's plan stresses the necessity of the US paying war reparations and affirms Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

"Iran has underscored the need for an end to sanctions and the release of the country’s seized assets and properties."

White House says Trump, Xi agree Iran cannot have nuclear weapon

According to the White House, the two leaders agreed “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the White House said Xi made clear “China’s opposition to the militarisation of the strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use”.

China’s state news agency Xinhua did not reference those remarks in its write-up of the Trump-Xi meeting.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/5/14/iran-war-live-tehran-slams-collusion-as-netanyahu-secretly-visits-uae

In other news, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the United Arab Emirates of direct involvement in military attacks against Iran and said the country should reconsider its “alliance with Israel”.

He made the comments at the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, according to a post on his official Telegram channel.

“I must say that the UAE was directly involved in the act of aggression against my country …They allowed their territory to be used to fire artillery and equipment against us,” said Araghchi.

He went on to denounce the UAE’s relations with Israel, which it normalised in 2020.

www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/5/14/iran-war-live-tehran-slams-collusion-as-netanyahu-secretly-visits-uae

Also on Al Jazeera updates today

‘Middle East turmoil will continue if Palestine issue not resolved: Abbas
Once Palestinian statehood is resolved, all other regional issues will be fixed, President Mahmoud Abbas said as he opened the Eighth Fatah Conference in Ramallah on Thursday.
During his speech, Abbas stressed the need for unity among Palestinian factions, reiterating that recognition of the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people as the basis of this. He also stressed the importance of Gaza to the Palestinian state and slammed Israeli military and settler violations in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The conference comes at a critical time for the leading party in the Palestinian Authority, Fatah, with Iran and the US locked in an ongoing dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme and control over the Strait of Hormuz, which has affected the entire world.
Israel is also continuing its daily assaults on Lebanon, which Abbas condemned, while the Palestinian president also voiced solidarity for Gulf states, which have come under attack from Iran.’

Clearly siting the importance of the Palestine issue to overall peace in the region.

I see also that Netanyahu claims to have visited the UAE, but the UAE deny it.

Edit to add.

I see PRC state media are concentrating on Taiwan in the Xi-Trump meetings. So if he wants the PRC to help, it appears he knows the price.

The two leaders have also agreed to frame their relationship as "constructive, strategic and stable" in a new positioning that will guide ties for the next three years.

China is grappling with serious economic challenges from rising unemployment, uneven growth, a real estate crisis and sky-high levels of local government debt.

So Beijing may not want a world with Washington at the centre of global power, but it needs to find a way to get along with the US.

And that was the message both leaders seemed to be sending tonight at the banquet.

Basking in the "magnificent welcome like no other" that he had received, Trump invited Xi to the White House in September.

Xi went further, saying "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" and "Make America great again" can go hand in hand.

He ended his speech with a toast to the future of both America and China: "Cheers."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxpypg9dgeo

Agree

the UAE said they don’t do meetings in secret
and keep within the publicly declared Abraham Accords

Then again it would be completely understandable if the UAE did want to deny secret meetings with Israel given how Iran have been attacking them lately.

Agree
both the UAE and Israel have lied about foreign policy issues so
anything is possible