According to Iran’s state-run news agency, the country sent its response to the latest US proposal for ending the war to the Pakistani mediators today, Sunday, May 10, 2026.

The report said that according to the proposed plan, the first stage of the negotiations will focus on ending hostilities, adding that Tehran’s response drew on ensuring “maritime security” in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

This comes as US sent Iran a 14-point proposal. Under its conditions, Iran would have to agree to not develop a nuclear weapon and to stop all enrichment of uranium for at least 12 years. It would also be required to hand over an estimated 440kg (970 pounds) stock of uranium, which it has enriched to 60 percent.

In return, the US would gradually lift sanctions, release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, and halt its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

While a truce remains in effect, President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume the US bombardment if Iran does not accept a deal which includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and rolling back its nuclear programme.

In a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani pushed for all parties to respond to the ongoing mediation efforts and to reach an agreement for lasting peace.

The Qatari foreign ministry reported today that Qatar’s Prime Minister also held a phone call with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi.

Sheikh Mohammed told Araghchi that Iran’s use of the Strait of Hormuz as a “pressure card” would only deepen the crisis in the Gulf, and said all parties in the conflict should respond to mediation efforts to end the war.

At a meeting on the reconstruction after damage caused by the war, President Masoud Pezeshkian said that negotiations with the US on ending the war do not mean Iran is surrendering. “The goal is to realise the rights of the Iranian people and defend national interests with authority,” he said.

Ceasefire Under Growing Strain

A fragile ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran is coming under growing strain as several Gulf countries have reported drone attacks. Qatar said today that a drone struck a cargo ship in Qatari waters, sparking a fire, while Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates said they repelled drone attacks.

Though no Gulf country reported casualties in the latest attacks, they have put pressure on the fragile ceasefire, which took effect on April 8.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said the freighter had been arriving in the country’s waters from the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and was hit by a drone northeast of the port of Mesaieed. “The vessel continued its journey toward Mesaieed Port after the fire was brought under control,” the ministry said.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a bulk carrier reported being struck by an “unknown projectile”, and a small fire had been extinguished, but there were no casualties from the incident. “There is no reported environmental impact,” it said.

Kuwait’s Defence Ministry said a “number of hostile drones” were detected in the country’s airspace at dawn. In a post on X, a spokesperson said the drones were dealt with “in accordance with established procedures”, but did not specify where the drones were launched from. The UAE Defence Ministry said that two Iranian drones were intercepted. “UAE air defence systems successfully engaged two UAVs launched from Iran,” the ministry said in a statement on X.

The Trump administration has said the truce is still in effect, but a naval battle has been taking place in the Gulf region, with Iran restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of traded oil transited before the war, and the United States imposing a blockade of Iranian ports.

Several attacks have been reported on ships in the Gulf and the countries in the region over the past week. On Friday, the US struck two Iranian oil tankers, saying they were trying to breach its blockade of Iran’s ports.

Today, the IRGC Navy reiterated its warning that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels would be met with a “heavy assault” on one of the bases in the region used by US forces and enemy ships.