United States Proposes 15-Point Plan to End War with Iran via Pakistani Mediators

The United States has presented Iran with a 15-point plan to end the war that began on February 28, 2026, transmitting the proposal through Pakistan, according to consistent reporting by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Axios, and Reuters, each citing unnamed US government officials. The plan demands sweeping concessions from Tehran, including the dismantling of nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, a complete halt to uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, suspension of ballistic missile development, and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran would also be required to hand over its stockpile of already enriched uranium to the International Atomic Energy Agency and, according to Israeli broadcaster N12, commit to never pursuing nuclear weapons. In return, Washington has offered to lift nuclear sanctions and support Iran's civilian nuclear program. The reports could not be independently verified, and no media outlet has obtained the official text of the plan.

Trump optimistic as Hegseth vows to negotiate "with bombs" US President Donald Trump expressed public confidence that a deal was within reach, saying Iran "definitely wants to make a deal" and that the United States was speaking with the "right people" in Tehran. Trump added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance were now involved in the potential negotiations, and noted that Iran had new leadership — an apparent reference to the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader following the death of Ali Khamenei in the opening strikes of the war. Trump had also announced a five-day pause in planned attacks on Iranian energy facilities to create space for diplomacy, describing "important agreements" with Tehran. Special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly told Trump that Iranian officials had agreed on several central points, including a willingness to surrender enriched uranium stockpiles, according to Axios. Against this backdrop of cautious optimism, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a starkly different message. „We negotiate with bombs.” — Pete Hegseth via N-tv The contradiction between Trump's diplomatic framing and Hegseth's public posture illustrated the internal tensions within the US approach to the conflict.

Tehran denies talks while Revolutionary Guard counters with its own demands Iran's official position has been one of flat denial. The Iranian Foreign Ministry and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, both rejected earlier statements by Trump that negotiations had been underway since Sunday. Iranian armed forces, according to state media, declared that talks about a ceasefire were not currently under consideration. Yet the Wall Street Journal reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard had submitted its own list of demands in response to the US plan — demands that US officials described as unrealistic. These reportedly include the evacuation of all US military bases from the Gulf region and the establishment of a system allowing Iran to collect fees from ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with reports indicating Iran had already begun demanding payments in the millions from certain merchant vessels. The gap between the two sides' positions remained wide: the US plan largely mirrors proposals discussed with Iran in Switzerland before the war began on February 28, talks that Trump had accused Tehran of conducting in bad faith. Whether Pakistan, which has offered to host direct negotiations, can bridge that gap remained an open question as of March 25, 2026.

The US-Israel military campaign against Iran, designated Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026. Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, was killed in the initial strikes. Mojtaba Khamenei, his son, was appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The war has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global energy prices. The current US demands largely reflect positions Washington had already advanced in pre-war negotiations held in Switzerland.

Oil prices dip below $100 as a projectile strikes Bushehr nuclear plant The diplomatic signals had a measurable effect on energy markets, with oil prices temporarily falling below $100 per barrel following reports of the 15-point plan and Trump's optimistic public statements — a notable move given that prices had risen sharply since the start of the war. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial share of global oil and gas trade passes, has seen shipping traffic heavily restricted due to Iranian attacks and threats, a factor that has driven up energy costs worldwide and created domestic political pressure on Trump ahead of upcoming congressional elections. Separately, Tehran reported that a projectile had struck the grounds of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, adding a new dimension of risk to an already volatile situation. The US military was also reported by AP and CNN to be preparing the deployment of at least around 1000 (soldiers) — 82nd Airborne Division troops being readied for regional deployment from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region, signaling that Washington was simultaneously pursuing both diplomatic and military options. Israel's position on any potential ceasefire agreement with its longstanding adversary remained unclear, with sources noting that no reporting had established how or whether Jerusalem had been consulted on the 15-point proposal.