De-escalation a long way off USA presents Iran with 15-point plan to end the war - Tehran counters
The USA is apparently trying to end the war with Iran diplomatically - but the extensive list of demands from Washington is meeting with resistance in Tehran. At the same time, the Pentagon is increasing its military presence in the region.
25.03.2026, 07:28
SDA
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- According to media reports, the USA has offered Iran a 15-point plan with far-reaching demands.
- A quick ceasefire is considered unlikely, as both sides are making tough maximum demands and Iran's military capabilities continue to enable an escalation.
- The conflict is putting a heavy strain on the region: attacks on Gulf states, disrupted shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and volatile oil prices are shaping the situation.
According to media reports, the US government has presented the rulers in Tehran with a 15-point plan to end the war with Iran. Pakistan has passed the proposal on to Iran, reported US media such as the Axios portal and the New York Times. The plan demands major concessions from the leadership in Tehran. At the same time, according to media reports, the US government ordered the deployment of thousands of soldiers from an airborne division to the Middle East.
Reports about the alleged US proposal and a possible planned meeting between US and Iranian representatives mediated by Pakistan caused the price of oil, which has risen dramatically since the start of the war, to fall slightly. Confident statements by US President Donald Trump, according to which Iran allegedly "absolutely wants to make a deal", also contributed to this. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance are involved in negotiations on behalf of the USA, Trump said.
A quick agreement on a ceasefire nevertheless seems rather unrealistic: Iran is by no means defeated, but is still capable of attacking Israel as well as the states in the Persian Gulf and blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran is therefore unlikely to want to fulfill Washington's wish list.
Iran counters with its own maximum demands
The Wall Street Journal also reported on a response from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to the US proposal, which in turn is said to include numerous demands that Washington is unlikely to meet - including the evacuation of all US military bases around the Persian Gulf and a new system that would allow Iran to collect a toll from ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is of great strategic importance, and not just for the transportation of oil and liquid gas. Currently, shipping traffic has practically come to a standstill due to Iranian attacks and threats, which is why oil and gas prices have risen sharply since the war began a good three and a half weeks ago.
What exactly is the USA demanding?
In its 15-point plan, the USA is reportedly demanding, among other things, the destruction of key facilities in Iran's nuclear program, a halt to uranium enrichment and the production of ballistic missiles as well as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, Iran should hand over its stock of enriched uranium - and thus allay fears that the Islamists in Tehran could one day get their hands on nuclear weapons. In return, the tough sanctions against Iran are to be eased, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
"Axios" reported that US special envoy Steve Witkoff had told Trump that the Iranians had agreed to several key points - including their willingness to give up their stocks of enriched uranium. The official line from Tehran, however, is that there can be no question of negotiations with the Americans.
The media reports, citing informed US officials, could not initially be independently verified. It also remained unclear what Israel, as an important warring party and weapons partner of the USA, thinks about a possible ceasefire agreement with its arch-enemy.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Iranian President Massud Peseshkian and called on his leadership to "engage in good faith in negotiations to pave the way for de-escalation", as Macron subsequently announced on Platform X.
Pentagon deploys airborne forces to the Middle East
According to the Washington Post, the US Department of Defense ordered the deployment of around 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. The New York Times, on the other hand, spoke of around 2,000 soldiers. The US special forces can parachute over enemy territory and could conceivably be the spearhead of a possible ground operation.
No decision has yet been made as to whether ground troops will actually be deployed in Iran. However, the "Wall Street Journal" found that the deployment of the soldiers would in any case open up additional options for Trump.
There has long been speculation in connection with the deployment of US marines that Trump could use the troops to capture Iran's most important oil export port on the island of Kharg in the Persian Gulf. The logic goes that the USA could use this leverage as a means of exerting pressure on Iran. In this case, however, Tehran itself could practically no longer export any oil - and would therefore have little interest in opening the Strait of Hormuz. Economically, however, the loss of exports via the island of Kharg would be devastating for Iran.
Fuel depot at Kuwait airport on fire
Meanwhile, Iran continued its attacks on targets in the Persian Gulf states with missiles and drones. Tehran considers these Arab states to be US allies and therefore sees them as legitimate targets.
At Kuwait International Airport, a fuel depot was hit in a drone attack during the night and caught fire. According to initial findings, however, the damage was limited and there were no injuries, the government announced. No details were given about the suspected attacker. According to the military, the air defense fended off enemy drones and missiles during the night. Iran had also recently targeted airports several times, such as the important hub in Dubai.
The air defense in Saudi Arabia also intercepted numerous drones during the night, as well as a ballistic missile, according to the Ministry of Defense. Warning sirens were activated in Bahrain, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The citizens of the island state were called upon to remain calm and seek safety.
