Washington Proposes 15-Point Ceasefire Plan as Iran Rejects Peace Talks

The United States has delivered a comprehensive ceasefire proposal to Iran through Pakistani intermediaries, even as tensions escalate with additional U.S. troops being deployed to the Middle East. Iranian military officials dismissed the diplomatic overture, stating they will never negotiate with Washington while continuing attacks across the region.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Washington has delivered a comprehensive 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iranian officials through Pakistani intermediaries, according to sources, while simultaneously deploying paratroopers to reinforce Marine units already en route to the Middle East this Wednesday.

Iranian military leadership rejected the diplomatic overture and continued launching strikes against Israeli targets and Gulf region infrastructure, including an attack that ignited a blaze at Kuwait International Airport.

As the conflict approaches its one-month mark, mounting pressure on Washington to halt hostilities led to the submission of the proposal through Pakistani mediators, who have volunteered to facilitate renewed diplomatic discussions, according to an individual familiar with the proposal’s framework who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly.

Tehran’s continued strikes on regional energy facilities and its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial shipping lane for approximately 20% of global oil transport—have caused petroleum prices to surge dramatically and destabilized international markets amid concerns of a worldwide energy shortage.

Approximately 1,000 personnel from the 82nd Airborne Division are scheduled for Middle East deployment within days, three sources with knowledge of the military planning confirmed to The Associated Press.

Pentagon officials are simultaneously positioning two Marine battalions that will contribute roughly 5,000 Marines and additional thousands of naval personnel to the region. These deployments are characterized as Trump positioning himself for “maximum flexibility” regarding future actions, sources indicated.

President Donald Trump has confirmed American representatives are conducting negotiations with Iran, though he has not specified the Iranian contacts. Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees both conventional forces and the Revolutionary Guard, denied any ongoing discussions.

“Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?” questioned Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a headquarters spokesperson.

“Our first and last word has been the same from day one, and it will stay that way: Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you,” Zolfaghari declared in a televised statement. “Not now, not ever.”

Israeli leadership, which has encouraged Trump to maintain military pressure against Iran, expressed surprise at the ceasefire proposal submission, officials reported.

White House representatives did not respond to comment requests.

Israeli forces announced new extensive strikes Wednesday morning targeting Iranian government infrastructure, with witnesses confirming air attacks in Qazvin, a northwestern Iranian city.

Warning sirens activated early Wednesday morning throughout Israel as Iran conducted retaliatory strikes, which have occurred daily since the February 28 Israeli-American assault that initiated the current conflict.

Tehran maintained pressure on neighboring Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reporting the destruction of at least eight drones over the kingdom’s petroleum-rich Eastern Province, while alert sirens sounded in Bahrain.

Kuwaiti forces intercepted multiple drones, though one struck a fuel storage tank at Kuwait International Airport, igniting a fire that emergency responders worked to extinguish, the General Civil Aviation Authority reported.

Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, approached $120 per barrel during the conflict but traded below $100 Wednesday morning as ceasefire discussions helped stabilize prices. Current rates remain nearly 40% higher than pre-war levels.

Potential U.S.-Iran negotiations face enormous obstacles. Many of Washington’s evolving goals, especially regarding Iran’s missile capabilities and nuclear development, remain challenging to accomplish.

Questions persist about which Iranian officials possess negotiating authority—or willingness to engage—as Israel has pledged to continue targeting the country’s leadership.

Iran maintains deep distrust of the United States, which has twice attacked during high-level diplomatic meetings under Trump’s administration, including the strikes that began the present conflict.

Zolfaghari stated that America lacks standing to negotiate.

“The strategic power you used to talk about has turned into a strategic failure,” he said. “The one claiming to be a global superpower would have already gotten out of this mess if it could.”

During Tuesday’s White House remarks, the president confirmed the U.S. is “in negotiations right now” with participants including special envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.

“We have a number of people doing it,” Trump stated. “And the other side, I can tell you, they’d like to make a deal.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s office confirmed he has discussed the conflict this week with several international counterparts. However, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, disputed Trump’s assertions of direct negotiations.