White House says Trump will hit Iran harder if Tehran does not accept defeat; Pakistan has conveyed American proposal
View of Enghelab Square in central Tehran. Photo: AFP
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN:
Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan to end the war, according to state-run Press TV.
It quoted an unidentified “senior political-security official” as setting out five of Tehran’s own conditions for ending the conflict, including paying compensation for damages.
As the joint US-Israeli war against Iran entered its fourth week, there have been efforts by several countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt to mediate.
Iran is still reviewing a US proposal to end the war, despite an initial response that was negative, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, indicating that Tehran had so far stopped short of rejecting it outright.
Pakistan delivered a proposal from the United States to Iran and either Pakistan or Turkiye could be meeting places for discussions on de-escalating the war in the Gulf, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The comments by an official, speaking on condition of anonymity, were among the few signs that Tehran was willing to consider diplomatic proposals, despite publicly denying that it would negotiate with US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Later in the day, however, it emerged that Tehran had “reacted negatively” to the US proposal, outlining five conditions under which Tehran would agree to end the ongoing conflict.
The Iranian source who spoke to Reuters did not reveal details of the proposal passed on by Pakistan or whether it was the same as a 15-point US proposal that has been reported by news media. The source said that “either Turkiye or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for such talks”.
A source familiar with the matter had confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday that the plan had been sent to Iran.
In Washington, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump will hit Iran harder if Tehran fails to accept that the country has been “militarily defeated.”
“President Trump is not bluffing and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again,” Leavitt told reporters in a press briefing.
“If Iran fails to accept the reality of the present moment, if they do not understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure that they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” she said.
Talks with Iran were still ongoing, Leavitt said. “Talks are continuing. They are productive, as the president said on Monday, and they will continue to be,” she added.
Citing unnamed sources, media reported on Tuesday that Washington sent Tehran a 15-point plan to end the war. Leavitt said Wednesday that elements of the reports were not entirely accurate, but she did not provide details.
“The White House never confirmed the full plan. There are elements of truth to it, but some of the stories I read were not entirely factual, so I’m not going to negotiate on behalf of the president here at the podium,” Leavitt said.
Global stock markets regained some ground while oil prices fell on Wednesday on reports of the plan, with investors hoping for an end to a war that has disrupted global energy supplies and raised inflation concerns.
According to Reuters, three Israeli cabinet sources said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet had been briefed on the proposal, which they said includes removing Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, halting enrichment, curbing its ballistic missile program and ending funding to regional allies.
Separately, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan said there had been no talks between Washington or Tehran.
“We have also heard such details through the media, but according to my information – and contrary to Trump’s claims – so far no negotiations, either directly or indirectly, have taken place between the two countries,” said Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam, adding that it was “natural that friendly countries are always involved in consultations with both sides to end this illegitimate aggression”.
(With additional input from the News Desk)
