Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has proposed a comprehensive roadmap to end the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, published in Foreign Affairs magazine. The plan purportedly goes beyond a temporary ceasefire and aims to establish lasting peace as tensions escalate across the Middle East, with the conflict having convulsed the global economy.

Zarif claimed that the war, which erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes, has spread regionally, leading Iran to attack neighboring states, allegedly targeting US assets, and restrict vessel movement in the Strait of Hormuz. He argued that prolonging the conflict—while potentially “psychologically satisfying” for Tehran—would only result in further civilian casualties and infrastructure destruction, despite Iran viewing itself as successful.

The roadmap suggests Iran should offer to place limits on its nuclear program under international monitoring and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions. These limits include a commitment to never seek nuclear weapons and to blend enriched uranium stocks to below 3.67% enrichment. Zarif dismissed US President Donald Trump’s demand for zero enrichment as “fanciful” thinking. Additionally, he called for a mutual nonaggression pact with the US and the lifting of all UN Security Council resolutions against Iran.

Zarif outlined roles for international actors, proposing that China and Russia, along with the US, could help create a regional fuel-enrichment consortium with Iran and Gulf neighbors at a sole West Asian facility. He also suggested that Gulf states, UN Security Council powers, and possibly Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey should form a regional security framework to “ensure nonaggression, cooperation and freedom of navigation,” including guarantees for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Officials from Gulf states have criticized Zarif’s proposal for overlooking Tehran’s attacks against its neighbors. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, accused Iran of “strategic failure,” while former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, though calling the approach “clever,” noted the war has led to a “more complicated and dangerous” path and eroded regional trust. The US regime has presented its own ceasefire plan, but diplomatic efforts show no signs of progress.

Source: www.aljazeera.com