Tehran demands authority over the Strait of Hormuz including transit fees, a full Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and release of frozen funds before any final deal.
Iran's negotiators arrived in Islamabad with a 10-point proposal that reads less like an opening bid and more like a declaration of sovereignty. At its core, Tehran demands recognized authority over the Strait of Hormuz — including the right to collect transit fees from every ship that passes through — along with the immediate release of billions in frozen Iranian assets held in Qatar and other international banks. The plan also calls for a complete ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, tying the broader regional conflict directly to whatever deal emerges in Pakistan.
The US countered with its own 15-point framework, which takes a fundamentally different approach. Washington wants Iran to hand over or destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, accept permanent restrictions on its nuclear program, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz unconditionally and without tolls. The American plan also demands limits on Iran's ballistic missile capabilities and the withdrawal of Iranian support for proxy militias across the region — conditions Tehran has historically treated as non-starters.
The gap between the two proposals is enormous, but both sides agreed to use them as a basis for negotiation rather than walking away. The Persian and English versions of Iran's plan already diverge on the critical question of uranium enrichment — a discrepancy that could either provide diplomatic wiggle room or become a landmine when the details are hammered out. What is clear is that neither side came to Islamabad expecting a quick handshake. This will be a grinding, clause-by-clause negotiation with the ceasefire clock ticking in the background.