Iran has formally delivered its response to Washington’s 15‑point proposal to end the conflict through intermediaries and is now awaiting a US reply, according to Tasnim news agency.
Tehran’s conditions include ending attacks and assassinations, guarantees the war will not resume, compensation for damages, and a halt to all regional hostilities involving allied groups – a clear reference to Hezbollah in Lebanon, among others. Iran insists its control over the Strait of Hormuz is a “natural and legitimate right”.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that indirect US-Iran talks are taking place through messages relayed by Islamabad, with additional support from Turkey and Egypt. Iran has shown little appetite – at least in public – for negotiations with the US, noting that twice in the midst of previous negotations, the US and Israel launched aerial attacks on the country. It considers negotiations with the US a “deception” aimed at lowering oil prices and buying time for further military action.
‘There’ll be no one left to talk to’
Meanwhile, the war continues. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri was killed in an Israeli airstrike, saying the operation targeted the official “directly responsible” for mine‑laying and attempts to block maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Katz warned: “The IDF will hunt you down and eliminate you one by one.”
A Pakistani official told Reuters that Israel removed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf from its target list following Islamabad’s intervention, warning there would be “no one left to talk to” if they were killed.
No retreat by warring sides
The IRGC claims to have begun its next phase of its campaign against the US and Israel, involving extensive drone and missile strikes on Israeli command infrastructure and sites linked to nuclear‑related industry south of the Dead Sea.
Iranian media report the Houthi movement is prepared to join the conflict and seize the Bab al‑Mandab strait.
Overnight, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE intercepted Iranian missile attacks using their air defence systems. The four states plus Qatar and Jordan issued a joint statement demanding Iraq stop attacks launched by Iran‑aligned militias from its territory, describing Tehran’s actions as “flagrant attacks” while asserting their “right to self‑defence.”
Risk of nuclear disaster
Russia accused the US and Israel of risking a nuclear disaster by targeting Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant as staff evacuations continued. At the same time, the UK, France and 28 other nations have formed a coalition to secure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper said the US has destroyed “more than two‑thirds” of Iran’s drone and missile production sites and “92%” of Iran’s naval fleet since the joint US–Israeli bombing campaign began on February 28, claiming Iran has lost its ability to project maritime power.
The Pentagon is considering redirecting weapons originally destined for Ukraine to the Middle East amid fears that US stockpiles of advanced interceptors are being rapidly depleted.
Sources: CNA, Tasnim, AFP