US President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he is in negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
“They are talking to us, and they are talking sense,” the US President said when asked about the possibility of ending the conflict.
The fresh remarks came after Iran dismissed Trump’s earlier statements around negotiations as “fake news” and an attempt to manipulate the financial markets.
Moreover, the New York Times cited two officials from the US government on Tuesday, who said that Washington has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war.
But Iran has not publicly acknowledged receiving it.
Trump’s Iran deal takes shape
According to media reports, the plan was passed to Tehran through Pakistan, whose army chief has emerged as a key back-channel conduit between Washington and the Iranian leadership.
The framework was reportedly shaped by Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
The aim is to create an immediate 30-day ceasefire window during which a broader settlement could be formalized.
Earlier, Trump also indicated about such a plan and mentioned that Iran would be required to fully dismantle its nuclear capabilities.
The reports said that Iran may also be asked to pull back from its regional proxy architecture, stop backing aligned armed groups, and keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
The experts pointed out that Washington appears to be asking Iran not simply to de-escalate, but to surrender many of the pillars on which its deterrence strategy has rested for years.
What Iran would want
Iran has so far signalled that it will negotiate on its own terms.
Tehran launched fresh strikes against Israel on Wednesday and has not shown any reluctance in stepping up the attack against the US assets in West Asia.
If Trump’s 15-point plan includes easing harsh sanctions, it could push Iran to pause and reconsider the conflict.
It would mean relief from the sanctions web that has battered investment, trade, and state finances for years.
But that may not come easily, the US will likely ask for support for Iran’s civilian nuclear energy program, specifically around electricity generation at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Washington is said to be prepared to remove the threat of the so-called snapback mechanism that allows previously lifted UN sanctions to be reimposed quickly.
Trump has already signaled where he sees the non-negotiable line. He said this week that “it all starts with, they cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Why the plan may still stall
The obstacles are obvious, and they are serious. Iran’s public line remains one of denial and suspicion.
Tehran has already dismissed Trump’s earlier claims of “productive” US-Iran conversations as “fake news” and accused Washington of trying to manipulate oil and financial markets.
That makes it difficult to know whether a serious channel is operating privately or whether both sides are still talking past each other in public.
Israel is the second complication.
Even if Washington believes a formula is taking shape, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have a much narrower view of what an acceptable endgame looks like.
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