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 U.S. 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 authorized 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 U.S. 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
Any talks between the U.S. 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 Feb. 28 strikes that started the current war.
Pakistan says it is ready to host talks
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that Pakistan is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to end the Iran war.
The U.S. has agreed in principle to join talks in Pakistan, according to three Pakistani officials, one Egyptian official and a Gulf diplomat, while mediators were still working to convince Iran.
One diplomat from the region said the talks could happen by early next week, and that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to represent the U.S. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details to the media.
US and Iran issue conflicting statements on status of talks
Speaking Tuesday at the White House, the president said the U.S. 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. (AP)