Dubai, Mar 26: Iran on Wednesday dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East, issuing its own counterproposal instead, as it launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries.
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 missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is normally shipped.
Iran issued its own plan via state TV, which includes a halt to killings of its officials, means to make sure no other war is waged against it, reparations for the war, the end of hostilities and Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
“No negotiations have happened with the enemy until now, and we do not plan on any negotiations,” Iran’s foreign minister later told state TV.
The death toll from the war has risen to more than 1,500 people in Iran, nearly 1,100 people in Lebanon, 16 in Israel and 13 US military members, as well as a number of civilians on land and sea in the Gulf region. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
Here is the latest:
Trump insists Iran is still negotiating
Speaking at a fundraiser for Republicans in Washington, DC, Trump said Iran is still interested in cutting a deal.
“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” Trump said of Iran’s leaders.
The president added: “They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us,” before quipping that no one wanted to lead Iran for fear of being assassinated by the United States.
Sirens sound in parts of Tel Aviv and cities in central Israel
There was no advance warning, as has been customary from Iranian missile salvos, suggesting this was rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has pounded northern Israel constantly throughout this war but rarely reached deeper into the country.
Israel’s emergency services said they had received no reports of casualties in the incident early Thursday morning.
Six people arrested in plot to kill Kuwait leaders, Ministry of Interior says
Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior says the six people were allegedly linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and were arrested for planning to carry out assassinations of leaders in the Gulf state.
The ministry said in a statement that five of those arrested are Kuwaiti citizens. It added that it identified 14 more members of the group who had fled the country: five Kuwaitis, five Kuwaitis whose nationalities have been revoked, two Iranians and two Lebanese.
The arrested members confessed to espionage and to joining a terror group, the statement said, and have been referred to the public prosecutor.
At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence against those who ‘deserve no mercy’
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, hosting his first monthly Christian worship service at the Pentagon since the Iran war began, prayed Wednesday to have “every round find its mark”.
Hegseth frequently invokes his evangelical faith as head of the armed forces, depicting a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes with military might.
“Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” Hegseth prayed during the livestreamed service. “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”
Trump’s potential troop deployment is getting pushback on Capitol Hill
At least one Republican lawmaker is making it clear she does not support putting US service members on the ground in Iran following a closed-door briefing with lawmakers overseeing the military.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina posted on social media that she would “not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing”.
While few other Republicans have taken that stance, the GOP chairs of the committees overseeing the military expressed some frustration that they are not receiving enough information about plans as the war enters a potential escalation.
“I am more fearful than ever that we’re on a path to put troops on the ground in Iran,” said Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, adding that “None of the president’s objectives can be accomplished without a physical presence there.”
Iran’s foreign minister says his government does not plan any negotiations to end the war
In an interview with Iranian state TV late Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said that no talks with the United States have taken place.
“No negotiations have happened with the enemy until now, and we do not plan on any negotiations,” he said.
Attacks by both Iran and its allied groups must stop, Arab countries say
While most of their previous statements focused primarily on drone and missile fire from Iran, Wednesday’s statement by five Gulf nations and Jordan also condemned Iranian attacks “whether carried out directly or through their proxies and armed factions they support in the region”.
In a joint statement, they also urged Iraq to stop militias from launching attacks from its territory and reaffirmed their right to self-defense. The Gulf countries on the statement were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
UN chief says a new envoy will be on the ground promoting mediation to end Iran war
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said his personal envoy, veteran French diplomat Jean Arnault, will lead “UN efforts on the conflict and its consequences”.
More than three weeks after Israel and the US launched attacks on Iran, the secretary-general said, “the war is out of control”.
“My message is that diplomacy must prevail,” Guterres said. “And diplomacy requires sincere dialogue.”
He said Arnault will be doing on the ground what he has been trying to do from New York — supporting all efforts for mediation and peace.
Arnault will be in contact with all the parties and will be looking at the war’s impact on civilians in the region and beyond, Guterres said, including the economic turmoil, especially in less developed countries.
Jordan suspends residency of Iranian diplomat and denies accreditation of another
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi told the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV Wednesday that this measure is a clear message to Iran that their attacks against neighboring states are rejected.
Several countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, have declared Iranian diplomats persona non grata following Tehran’s attacks against their countries.
Al-Safadi said Iran has launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Jordan during the war. He insisted Jordan does not host foreign military bases, a rationale Iran has repeatedly used to justify attacks against neighboring states, although Jordan does host what the minister described as forces “of allied and friendly nations with whom we cooperate on defense and training.”
White House says Trump plans to host Chinese president in Washington later this year
With Trump’s trip to China now rescheduled for May 14 and 15, the White House is also talking about its intent to host the Chinese president in Washington later this year.
Trump had been scheduled to travel to China later this month but previously announced he was delaying the trip so he could be in Washington to help steward the US and Israeli war against Iran.
When asked if the new dates for Trump’s trip to China could suggest he believes the Iran war could end soon, his press secretary Leavitt offered an optimistic tone that the conflict could reach an endgame before he travels.
Leavitt also says the president and first lady Melania Trump plan to host Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife for a White House visit later this year.
White House maintains silence on who the US is negotiating with in Iran
But Leavitt declined to identify which Iranian or Iranians the administration is negotiating with. The press secretary also declined to comment on a 15-point ceasefire plan put forward by the United States that was rejected by Iran.
She cautioned White House reporters about “reporting about speculative points or speculative plans from anonymous sources.”
“The White House never confirmed that full plan,” Leavitt said, adding that “there are elements of truth to it, but some of the stories I read were not entirely factual.”
Houthis say they back Iran but will stay on the sidelines
Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi rebels repeated their support for the Islamic Republic despite not taking part in the war against the United States and Israel, stressing that any decision to join the fight would be made independently and not dictated by Tehran, according to Houthi officials.
Three Houthi officials told The Associated Press that the group is historically and religiously connected with Iran, calling it an ally of Yemen, but taking part in the war will be solely a Yemeni decision. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media.
Houthi attacks on vessels during the Israel-Hamas war upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about USD 1 trillion worth of goods passed each year before the war. The rebels also fired drones at Israel.
More from the White House on Iran talks
Leavitt declined to provide details on negotiations with Iran, saying it’s a sensitive issue that remains in flux.
She said there are “elements of truth” in a 15-point plan said to have been put forward by the United States, but also said some reports have been “not entirely factual”.
“I am not going to negotiate on behalf of the president here at the podium,” Leavitt said. “What I will tell you is these talks are ongoing.”
She cautioned White House reporters about “reporting about speculative points or speculative plans from anonymous sources.”
“The White House never confirmed that full plan,” Leavitt said, adding that “there are elements of truth to it, but some of the stories I read were not entirely factual.”
White House says more strikes to come if Iranian talks are unproductive
Saying that US forces are “very close to meeting the core objectives” of the military action against Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “productive conversations” with Iran were ongoing but stressed that more strikes could come if they’re unsuccessful.
“If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily … Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” Leavitt said at a briefing Wednesday.
Trump has said that US was in talks with Iran to end the war as diplomatic efforts picked up, and Iran issued a newly defiant statement.
