Iran has delivered its formal response to the latest U.S. draft proposal aimed at ending the war through a Pakistani mediator, state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s response to the latest proposed U.S. draft aimed at ending the war was delivered today through a Pakistani mediator,” IRNA said in a statement carried by Ada Derana. The agency gave no details of the response but added that “according to the proposed framework, negotiations at this stage will focus on the issue of ending the war in the region.”

The handover comes a day after Tehran indicated no agreement had yet been reached and the U.S. side said it was awaiting Iran’s reply. It is the first formal Iranian engagement with the war-ending proposal first floated on Friday, with Pakistan again acting as the channel between the two governments.

Separately, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei held a meeting with Maj. Gen. Abdollahi, commander of the country’s military headquarters, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Abdollahi briefed Khamenei “on the readiness of Iran’s armed forces” and said forces were in a state of high readiness with “the necessary equipment and weapons to counter hostile actions by the American-Zionist enemies.” Any “strategic mistake, aggression, or attack” would be met with a “swift, intense, and powerful” response, he was quoted as saying. No photographs or video of the meeting were published.

Khamenei said Iran had “thwarted the enemies from achieving their evil goals” and issued new instructions to “powerfully confront the enemies,” according to Fars.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier in the week he had held a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Khamenei — the first publicly reported in-person meeting between a senior Iranian official and the new Supreme Leader since his inauguration in March, after U.S.–Israeli strikes killed his predecessor and father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. CNN reported on Friday that U.S. intelligence assesses Mojtaba Khamenei is playing a critical role in shaping war strategy alongside senior officials, with multiple sources telling the network he is likely directing how Iran is managing the negotiations.

Source: Ada Derana (CNN / Agencies).