Iran Rebuilds Drone Output Faster Than US Expected Amid Ceasefire

Iran said Thursday it is reviewing the latest American response to its proposal for ending the nearly three-month war, as Pakistan intensifies its role as intermediary and President Donald Trump indicated he is willing to wait a few more days before deciding whether to resume military action. The developments come six weeks after a fragile ceasefire took hold following Israeli and American strikes that began February 28, leaving both sides locked in a tense standoff over Iran's nuclear program, regional proxies, and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that Tehran has received Washington's views and is examining them, according to state media. Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is scheduled to travel to Tehran on Thursday for further consultations, building on earlier visits by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Pakistan hosted the only direct talks between the two sides last month, though those sessions collapsed amid Iranian accusations of excessive American demands. Trump, speaking at Joint Base Andrews, warned that negotiations sit on the "borderline" between a deal and renewed strikes, adding that he could wait "a few days" to get the right answers but that action would follow quickly if needed.

Former Trump administration envoy Morgan Ortagus cautioned against allowing the talks to drag on indefinitely. Speaking after a Middle East Forum event, she described Iran's approach as a familiar tactic of stalling to buy time while preserving leverage, urging the president not to repeat patterns seen in earlier negotiations. At the same time, U.S. intelligence assessments suggest Iran has restarted portions of its drone production and is restoring its military industrial base more rapidly than initial estimates projected, according to reports citing multiple sources familiar with the assessments.

Inside Iran, hard-line figures appear to be shaping the negotiating stance. Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who commands the Revolutionary Guard and has been linked to past attacks including the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina, has emerged as a central player in talks with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Vahidi's elevation followed the death of his predecessor early in the conflict, and he now oversees Iran's ballistic missile arsenal and naval forces that have long threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have also announced a new "supervision area" in the strait, requiring vessels to seek permission for transit, further complicating global energy flows that previously carried about 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.

President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that all diplomatic paths remain open from Iran's side while dismissing the notion that pressure or threats could force surrender. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States of seeking to reignite conflict. On Capitol Hill, Sen. Rick Scott argued that military action may ultimately be required against Iran, contrasting it with Cuba where he expects internal upheaval to remove the regime.

The current exchanges reflect a narrow window in which diplomacy is being tested against mutual suspicions and the risk of rapid escalation. Both capitals continue to signal readiness for renewed confrontation while leaving limited space for Pakistan's mediation to produce clearer terms.