Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed on May 21 that Iran has "received US views and are reviewing them" following several rounds of Pakistani-mediated exchanges aimed at ending 83 days of war [14][3]. The announcement came hours after US President Donald Trump told reporters that negotiations are "in the final stages" and warned that without "the right answers" from Tehran within days, military operations would resume rapidly [6][9].

The dual signals — diplomatic engagement from Tehran and an explicit military deadline from Washington — define the central tension of the current phase. Trump said he was willing to wait "a couple of days" to save lives but added: "Believe me, if we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go" [3][10]. US Vice President JD Vance struck a slightly more conciliatory note, saying the administration believed "good progress" had been made and that Iranian negotiators appeared to want a deal, while acknowledging that the explicit Plan B was to resume the military operation [8][4]. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller framed the choice in starker terms, warning Tehran of consequences "the likes of which has not been seen in modern history" [1].

Iranian officials accepted the existence of a diplomatic track but questioned Washington's sincerity. Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said "the enemy's movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war" [1]. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that "despite the negative record of the other side over the past year and a half, Iran is pursuing the path of negotiations with seriousness and good faith, but it has strong and reasonable suspicion over America's performance" [6]. President Masoud Pezeshkian said "all paths" to a diplomatic solution "remain open from our side" while warning that attempts to force Tehran into surrender through pressure were "an illusion" [1].

A second fault line emerged over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran's newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority published a map claiming regulatory jurisdiction over waters stretching from Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to south of the UAE's Fujairah port [3][8]. The authority warned that "passage without permission will be considered illegal" [1], and the IRGC Navy said it had facilitated the transit of 26 vessels — including oil tankers and container ships — through the strait in the preceding 24 hours [1]. An IRGC Navy political deputy said the United States had failed to reopen the strait despite "thousand tricks" [12]. Iranian state outlet Mehr News reported that every ship transiting the new zone must obtain permission from Iranian armed forces [21].

The UAE rejected the claim outright. Presidential adviser Anwar Gargash called it a "chimère" (chimera), stating: "The regime is trying to establish a new reality born from a clear military defeat, but attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz or infringe on the UAE's maritime sovereignty are nothing but pipe dreams" [3][8]. The UAE also demanded that Iraq prevent hostile acts from its territory after drones targeted the Barakah nuclear plant — UAE defense sources reported six drones launched from Iraq, five intercepted, with one striking a generator outside the facility's inner perimeter, though other reports cited a smaller number of drones [28][19].

The IRGC issued a broader deterrence warning, stating that "If aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time," promising strikes "in places that are not expected" [4][6][10]. Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the Israeli military remained "on the highest level of alert and prepared for any development" [1], while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly urged Trump during a tense phone call to resume strikes, arguing that any delay benefits Iran [11][12]. Trump downplayed the disagreement, insisting Netanyahu would "do whatever I want him to do" [11].

Regional and international actors lined up behind continued diplomacy. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Trump in a phone call that the ceasefire extension was "a positive development" and expressed confidence a reasonable solution was possible [2]. Saudi Arabia welcomed Trump's willingness to give diplomacy a chance and urged Tehran to make a deal [7]. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said: "La Chine soutient la médiation juste et équilibrée assurée par le Pakistan pour promouvoir la paix et mettre fin à la guerre" (China supports the fair and balanced mediation provided by Pakistan to promote peace and end the war) [8]. Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, was due in Tehran to intensify mediation efforts [10][3].

Academic analysis suggested Iran had seized the diplomatic initiative. Scott Lucas, a professor at University College Dublin's Clinton Institute, said "Iran has the initiative because it formulated a 14-point proposal and, in doing so, shifted the focus to the Strait of Hormuz rather than the nuclear programme," adding that a settlement was likely but a return to war could not be excluded [10]. Bloomberg Economics analysts assessed that after nearly three months of conflict, Trump's objectives appeared far from achieved and Iran had emerged battered but strengthened with new global influence [4].

The on-again, off-again diplomacy continued to roil energy markets. Two Chinese tankers carrying four million barrels of oil exited the strait on Wednesday, and Brent crude dropped nearly five percent on revived deal hopes [6]. Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen noted that the situation produced "une volatilité importante des prix, sans pour autant aboutir à l'unique évolution qui compte vraiment : la réouverture du détroit d'Ormuz" (significant price volatility without achieving the only development that truly matters: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz) [8]. Maritime war-risk insurance premiums have surged more than 1,000 percent since the conflict widened [17]. Fujitomi Securities analyst Toshitaka Tazawa said "investors are keen to gauge whether Washington and Tehran can actually find common ground and reach a peace agreement, with the US stance shifting daily" [6].

Separately, Iran's judiciary executed two more men for crimes linked to anti-government protests, describing them as members of terrorist groups. Amnesty International reported at least 2,159 executions in Iran in the previous year, the highest figure since 1981 [3].

A 137-country draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz is under consideration at the UN Security Council [12][18]. Trump indicated he could wait until "Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or early next week" for Iran's formal response before deciding on next steps [4][9].