The United States has put forward a 15-point plan to Iran, along with a proposed ceasefire, in a bid to bring an end to the war in the Middle East. President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has already agreed to one key part of the proposal — that it will not pursue nuclear weapons.
"They've agreed," Trump said Tuesday of his biggest demand. "They will never have a nuclear weapon. They've agreed to that." The peace plan was reportedly passed to Iranian officials on Tuesday through Pakistan. Meanwhile, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are said to be pushing Iran to accept a temporary, month-long ceasefire.
Conditional Ceasefire Demands
This pause would allow both sides to negotiate the details of the 15-point proposal. The proposed peace plan is thought to be built on a 15-point framework that was first presented to Iran last year, before Israel launched its 12-day conflict with the regime and the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during Operation Midnight Hammer, according to multiple reports.
Israel is not directly taking part in the negotiations, but an Israeli official told Channel 12 that the Trump administration told them in advance, before talks with Iran, to end the fighting that began on Sunday.
The report also says that 14 of the 15 conditions outlined by the Trump administration have been revealed.
- Iran must dismantle existing nuclear capabilities
- Iran must commit never to pursue nuclear weapons.
- No uranium enrichment on Iranian territory.
- Iran must hand its stockpile of enriched uranium to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
- The Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo nuclear facilities must be dismantled.
- The IAEA must be granted full access to Iran's nuclear facilities.
- Iran must abandon its "regional proxy paradigm."
- Iran must cease the funding, directing and arming its proxies.
- The Strait of Hormuz must remain open.
- Iran's missile program must be limited in both range and quantity.
- Iran must limit its use of missiles to self-defense.
In return, Iran would benefit from:
- The end of sanctions imposed by the international community.
- US assistance to advance its civilian nuclear program.
- A "snapback" mechanism allowing for the automatic reimposition of sanctions if Iran fails to comply would be removed.
Iran's Strange Demands
Iran has reportedly responded to the US proposal with a series of sweeping demands. According to reports, Tehran is calling for all US military bases in the Gulf region to be shut down, along with compensation for the attacks carried out against the country.
It is also pushing for the right to charge fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, assurances that the conflict will not restart, an end to Israel's strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the removal of all sanctions. In addition, Iran wants to keep its ballistic missile program without entering any negotiations to limit it.
A US official dismissed these conditions as "ridiculous and unrealistic."
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that US military actions against Iran will continue until Trump's goals are achieved.
"As President Trump and his negotiators explore this newfound possibility of diplomacy, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated to achieve the military objectives laid out by the commander in chief and the Pentagon," Leavitt said in a statement to the New York Times.
Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has emerged as an important go-between in communications involving Washington and Tehran, the report said, with Egypt and Turkey also playing roles in the process.
He is said to have suggested that Pakistan could host peace negotiations between the United States and Iran during a recent discussion with Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan "fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end" the conflict. "Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict," Sharif wrote on X.
Tehran has denied claims that it is in talks with the United States, and it hasn't publicly confirmed agreeing to any of Donald Trump's demands — including giving up its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
