Iran Sends Response to US Peace Proposal via Pakistan, Says Negotiations to Focus on Ending War

The drumbeat of war grew louder on Sunday even as a sliver of diplomacy flickered to life. Iranian state media confirmed that Tehran had formally submitted its response to the latest US-proposed text for ending the conflict, transmitting it through Pakistani mediators . Washington offered no immediate comment, though US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz signalled the administration was giving diplomacy "every chance we possibly can before going back to hostilities."

Yet on the ground and in the skies, the ceasefire continued to fray at the edges. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei , who has not appeared publicly since the war began, broke his silence in a closed-door meeting with the head of Iran's joint military command, issuing what state media described as " new and decisive directives for the continuation of operations and the powerful confrontation with the enemies." The military chief briefed Khamenei that Iranian forces remained in full combat readiness, both defensively and offensively.

The day's most alarming flash point came in the skies above the Sea of Oman , where a US F-35 fighter jet declared an emergency, transmitting the international distress squawk code 7700 while flying over the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The aircraft subsequently went off radar near the UAE, though no wreckage has been confirmed and the nature of the emergency, mechanical, medical, or otherwise, remained unclear as of Sunday evening.

Maritime violence continued unabated. South Korea announced initial findings from an investigation confirming that two unidentified airborne objects struck the South Korean-operated vessel HMM NAMU about one minute apart while it was anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, causing an explosion and fire. Seoul has yet to assign responsibility. Separately, the UAE's Defense Ministry confirmed its air defences intercepted two drones launched from Iran on Sunday, adding that since the conflict began, UAE systems have now intercepted 551 ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles. A drone also ignited a small fire on a ship off Qatar , which condemned it as a "dangerous and unacceptable escalation."

On the nuclear front, President Trump issued warnings, revealing that the US Space Force has Iran's buried uranium stockpile under constant satellite surveillance. "If anybody gets near the place, we will know about it, and we'll blow them up," Trump said in a televised interview. He also claimed that when the US struck Iran's nuclear programme in 2025, Tehran had been just two weeks away from a functional nuclear weapon. The 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60% buried deep underground, remains the thorniest obstacle in negotiations, with Washington demanding its removal and Tehran refusing to negotiate its nuclear programme until the war formally ends.