Iran calls US proposal to end war ‘maximalist, unreasonable’
Diplomatic source tells Al Jazeera that Iran is dismissing the 15-point plan from the Trump administration as unworkable.
A high-ranking diplomatic source has confirmed that Iran received a 15-point plan from the United States aimed at ending the US-Israeli war on the country.
But the source told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that Tehran described the US proposal as “extremely maximalist and unreasonable”.
“It is not beautiful, even on paper,” the source added, calling the plan deceptive and misleading in its presentation.
The comments come as US President Donald Trump has claimed – despite Iranian denials – that negotiations are under way between Washington and Tehran to reach an agreement to end the nearly one-month conflict.
The source explained that Iran has a clear understanding of what conditions it requires for a ceasefire and what it will reject.
The source also stated there have been no direct Iran-US talks since the war began, but messages have been exchanged through a number of mediators.
The response came hours after sources confirmed to Al Jazeera that Pakistan had shared US ceasefire demands with Iran, which has been under US-Israeli attack since February 28.
Later on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said no negotiations are taking place between Tehran and Washington, but he noted that the US is sending messages through different mediators, which “does not mean negotiations”.
In comments shared by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, Araghchi stressed that Tehran is not seeking war and wants a permanent end to the conflict.
He also said Iran is demanding compensation for the destruction caused by weeks of US-Israeli attacks against the country.
Egypt, Pakistan pushing for talks
This week’s diplomatic push comes after Trump announced he was suspending planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure due to what he described as “productive” talks towards ending the war.
The conflict has seen Iran fire missiles and drones across the wider Middle East, including at critical oil and gas facilities in the Gulf region. Iran has also essentially shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, a Gulf waterway critical for global energy supplies, sending oil prices soaring.
But on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that Washington is prepared to escalate its military operations if necessary.
“The president’s preference is always peace. There does not need to be any more death and destruction,” Leavitt told reporters.
“But if Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment – if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be – President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before.”
Mediators are pushing for in-person talks between the Iranians and the Americans as early as Friday in Pakistan, Egyptian and Pakistani officials said earlier in the day.
According to Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, Pakistan is in a unique position as a mediator because it has a Shia minority and relatively good ties with Iran, including cross-border trade.
It also has a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and a Sunni majority that is closely aligned with the Gulf states, he said. The leader of Pakistan’s military also has a relationship with Trump, Bin Javaid added.
“So all of this puts Pakistan in a unique position to act between these two sides. It has no US bases on its soil, so Iran cannot accuse it of being used by the United States, and it is a state that has historically tried to mend relations between these actors,” he said.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, meanwhile, said Cairo was ready to host any meetings related to Iran as long as they serve de-escalation.
Abdelatty said at a news conference that Egypt supports Trump’s initiative to negotiate with Iran.
On Iran’s response to the US plan, he said: “We have to continue our efforts. It’s all about diplomacy and negotiations.”
Turkiye has also been trying to position itself as a possible mediator. Harun Armagan, vice chairman for foreign affairs in Turkiye’s ruling AK Party, told the Reuters news agency that Ankara has been “playing a role passing messages” between Tehran and Washington.
Iran counters with own conditions to end war
Iranian English-language broadcaster, Press TV, quoted an anonymous official as stating Iran had rejected the US ceasefire proposal.
“Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met,” Press TV quoted the official as saying.
The official offered Iran’s own five-point plan, which consisted of a halt to killings of its officials, the means to ensure no other war is waged against it, reparations for the war, the end of hostilities and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz”.
Earlier, two officials from Pakistan described the 15-point US proposal broadly, saying it addressed sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear programme, limits on its missiles and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies are shipped.
An Egyptian official involved in the mediation efforts said the proposal also includes restrictions on Iran’s support for armed groups.
Israeli officials, who have been advocating for Trump to continue the war against Iran, were surprised by the submission of a ceasefire plan, The Associated Press news agency reported, quoting an anonymous source.
Iran remains highly suspicious of the US, which has twice, under the Trump administration, attacked it during high-level diplomatic talks, including the February 28 strikes that started the current war.
Iran’s rejection of the US proposal came as Israel launched air attacks on Tehran and Washington deployed paratroopers and more Marines to the region.
Iran, meanwhile, launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, including an assault that sparked a large fire at Kuwait International Airport.