Iran outlines three-stage negotiation plan

Iran has presented mediators with a three-stage negotiation framework, conditioning any return to talks with the United States on Washington’s acceptance of the proposed structure, according to Iranian sources in Tehran.

The proposal outlines a phased approach beginning with efforts to end ongoing hostilities and secure guarantees against their resumption, before moving on to broader regional and nuclear issues.

Sources said the first stage would focus exclusively on ending the war and obtaining firm assurances that military action would not be renewed against Iran or Lebanon. Tehran has stressed that no other matters, including its nuclear programme, would be discussed at this stage.

Only after reaching agreement on these points would negotiations proceed to the second stage, which would address arrangements for managing the Strait of Hormuz in the post-conflict period.

According to the same sources, discussions over the strategic waterway would be conducted in coordination with Oman, with the aim of establishing a new legal framework governing navigation and security in the strait.

The third and final stage would involve the nuclear file, which Iran insists will not be opened for discussion until agreements have been secured in the first two phases.

The proposal reflects Tehran’s broader position of linking its nuclear programme to wider regional security arrangements, rather than treating it as a standalone issue.

The development comes as Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, travelled to Moscow at the head of a diplomatic delegation, following a regional tour that included visits to Islamabad and Muscat.

Iranian media reported that Araghchi’s visit to Pakistan was not linked to nuclear negotiations, but rather formed part of ongoing consultations with Pakistani officials.

There has been no immediate response from Washington to the proposed framework.