Trump proposes 15-point ceasefire plan; Iran says 'Americans negotiating with themselves'

Dubai: The Trump administration offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, a person briefed on the contours of the proposal said late Tuesday, even as the US military prepared to send at least 1,000 more troops to supplement some 50,000 troops already in the Mideast. The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan, who have offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly. The New York Times was the first to report that the plan had been delivered to Iranian officials. The Pentagon is also in the process of deploying two Marine units that will add about 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region. The moves are being framed as Trump maneuvering to give himself “max flexibility” on what he will do next, the person added. Israeli officials, who have been advocating for President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran, were surprised by the submission of a ceasefire plan, the person said.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Earlier in the day, Trump said the US was in talks with Iran to end the war as diplomatic efforts picked up and Iran issued a newly defiant statement. Meanwhile, airstrikes battered the Islamic Republic while Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel and sites across the region. Iran has denied that any negotiations are taking place, and Trump delayed his self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran's chokehold on the crucial waterway has snarled international shipping, sent fuel prices skyrocketing and threatened the world economy.

Talks would face big challenges

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Any talks between the US and Iran would face monumental challenges. Many of Washington's shifting objectives, particularly over Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs, remain difficult to achieve. It's not clear who in Iran's government has the authority to negotiate — or would be willing to, as Israel has vowed to continue killing the country's leaders. Iran remains highly suspicious of the United States, which twice under the Trump administration has attacked during high-level diplomatic talks, including with the February 28 strikes that started the current war.

More troops to be sent to Mideast

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At least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division will be sent top the Mideast in the coming days, three people with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press. The 82nd Airborne is considered the Army's emergency response force and can typically be deployed on short notice. It's the latest addition of American troops after US officials last week said thousands of Marines aboard several Navy ships will be heading to the region. While the Marine units are trained in missions that include supporting US embassies, evacuating civilians and disaster relief, the soldiers of 82nd Airborne are trained to parachute into hostile or contested territory to secure key territory and airfields.

The Marine deployment to the region has raised speculation that the US may try to seize Kharg Island, which is vital to Iran's oil network. The US bombed the Persian Gulf island more than a week ago, hitting its defences but saying it had left oil infrastructure intact. Iran has threatened to mine the gulf if the US appears to be on the verge of landing troops. Trump said he would hold off on a threat to bomb Iran's power stations while talks unfold — a delay that could be aimed at buying time for the Marines to arrive, the New York-based Soufan Centre think tank wrote in an analysis. However, the centre also noted that “Trump could be actively seeking an offramp.”

US and Iran issue conflicting statements on status of talks ------------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking Tuesday at the White House, the president said the US is “in negotiations right now” and that the participants included Witkoff, Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. “We have a number of people doing it,” Trump said. “And the other side, I can tell you, they'd like to make a deal.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's office said he has been discussing the war this week with several counterparts. But Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, denied Trump's claim of direct talks, and an Iranian military spokesperson declared that the fighting would go on. “Iran's powerful armed forces are proud, victorious and steadfast in defending Iran's integrity, and this path will continue until complete victory,” Iranian state television quoted Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi as saying Tuesday. The Egyptian official said efforts are centred on “trust-building” between the US and Iran, with the aim of bringing about a pause in fighting. Israel is not involved.

The official, who is involved in the efforts, said the priority is to prevent attacks on regional energy infrastructure and that they were working on a “mechanism” for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Talk of negotiations briefly drove down oil prices and boosted stocks. But that respite was short-lived, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard, nudging back over USD 100 a barrel Tuesday, up nearly 40 per cent since the war started.

Iran hits Israel and Gulf neighbours while Israel attacks Beirut

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Israel said it carried out an extensive series of strikes on Iranian “production sites,” without providing more information. In Tehran, a massive blast was heard in northern neighbourhoods and another in the city centre. Iran also fired at least a dozen waves of missiles at Israel, and first responders said three people were wounded in southern Israel, and four others suffered minor wounds in Tel Aviv. A Moroccan civilian contractor with the United Arab Emirates' armed forces was killed in Bahrain in an Iranian attack, the UAE Defence Ministry said.

In Kuwait, power lines were hit by air defence shrapnel, causing partial electricity outages for several hours. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed Iranian drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province. Israel pounded Beirut's southern suburbs, saying that it was targeting infrastructure used by the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group. A strike on a residential apartment southeast of the Lebanese capital killed at least three people, including a 3-year-old girl, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Another five people were killed in the south. In northern Israel, a woman was killed by shrapnel during an attack from Lebanon. Meanwhile, Lebanon declared Iran's ambassador persona non grata and ordered him to leave by Sunday. Iranian flights have been banned from landing in Lebanon, out of fear that they would carry weapons or funding for Hezbollah, and some top Lebanese government officials have accused Iran of dragging Lebanon into another war with Israel.