Iran rejects Trump proposal to finish struggle, offers 5 circumstances : NPR
A lady appears out from her destroyed residence within the stays of a residential and business constructing within the Shahrak-e Gharb neighborhood of Tehran, Iran, on March 21. The constructing was hit on March 16 amid U.S. and Israeli assaults and resulted in a number of deaths.
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Iran’s authorities on Wednesday rejected President Trump’s plan for ending the struggle and vowed to proceed preventing till an inventory of Iran’s personal circumstances are met. Iran’s calls for embrace struggle reparation funds and recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
The back-and-forth proposals got here whilst Israel is intensifying its battle in opposition to Iran and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, and because the Trump administration is sending 1000’s of Marines and Army troops to the area.
The Iranian Parliament speaker said he believes that Iran’s enemies are making ready to occupy an Iranian island.
Here’s what else to know in regards to the newest developments within the battle.
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Ceasefire proposal | U.S. paratroopers | Strait of Hormuz | Hezbollah | War damage | Attacks in Iraq
Iran makes a counterproposal demanding reparations
Iran has rejected President Trump’s plan for ending the struggle and offered 5 circumstances of its personal.
The English department of Iran’s state broadcaster, Press TV, reported the response, citing an Iranian senior political safety official, and Iranian embassies shared the federal government’s calls for on social media as nicely.
The circumstances embrace safeguards in opposition to future assaults on Iran, the fee of struggle reparations to the nation and a recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s circumstances to finish the struggle: finish to aggression by the enemy, concrete ensures stopping the recurrence of struggle, clear dedication, assured fee of struggle damages and compensation, complete finish to the struggle throughout all fronts, incl. in opposition to all resistance teams,…
— Iran Embassy SA (@IraninSA) March 25, 2026
Press TV mentioned the U.S. proposal had been “delivered via a friendly regional intermediary.” The Associated Press reported earlier that Pakistan — which has heat ties with each the Trump administration and Tehran — gave Iran the message.
The U.S. proposal, as first reported by The New York Times and Israel’s Channel 12, included Iran’s dedication to by no means pursuing nuclear weapons and dismantling any current nuclear capabilities.
An individual briefed on the proposal informed NPR that the abstract revealed by Channel 12 mirrored an early model and that adjustments had been made since then, although it wasn’t clear what the adjustments have been. The particular person requested anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to talk publicly in regards to the matter. NPR has not seen a duplicate of the proposal.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned Wednesday that “talks continue, they are productive,” when requested about Iran’s rejection of the U.S. proposal.
Iranian officers have insisted they aren’t negotiating with the U.S., saying Iran has solely exchanged messages by way of regional intermediaries.
Iranian navy spokesperson Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari recommended “Have your internal conflicts reached the point of you negotiating with yourselves?”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later mentioned “We do not want a ceasefire,” saying it will result in a vicious cycle of repeated struggle. “We want the war to end in a way that it does not repeat, on our own terms. The damages to the people of Iran must also be compensated,” he told Iran’s state media.
On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media his country “stands ready” to facilitate talks between the U.S. and Iran to finish the struggle. He adopted his assertion by tagging the X accounts of President Trump, in addition to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s overseas minister Abbas Araghchi.
— Daniel Estrin, Emily Feng and Alex Leff
Up to three,000 U.S. paratroopers will deploy to the Middle East
An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper participates in artillery coaching throughout a subject train at Fort Bragg, N.C., on Aug. 26, 2020.
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Sarah Blake Morgan/AP
Between 2,000 and three,000 U.S. Army paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division have acquired written orders to deploy to the Middle East, based on a U.S. authorities official who spoke to NPR on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to talk publicly.
The troops are anticipated to come back from the division’s Immediate Response Force, which may mobilize worldwide inside 18 hours.
The deployment, mixed with two Marine Expeditionary Units already shifting towards the Persian Gulf, may carry 6,000 to eight,000 U.S. floor troops into shut proximity to Iran.
The build-up comes as Trump has alternatively said he does not plan to put boots on the ground, whereas additionally saying he won’t rule it out.
— Quil LawrenceÂ
Iran says it would enable the passage of “non-hostile” ships via Strait of Hormuz
The Albina Bulk provider sits anchored at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman, on on March 22.
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The Iranian Foreign Ministry mentioned Tuesday that it will facilitate the “safe passage” of “non-hostile” ships within the Strait of Hormuz, however excluded vessels belonging to the United States, Israel and others engaged within the struggle with Iran from transiting via it.
The announcement was made by Iran’s mission in the United Nations on X.
It adopted a letter despatched to the U.N. Secretary General, Antonio Guterres on Sunday, asserting that the passage of ships from international locations it deemed impartial to the battle, can be achieved “in coordination with the competent Iranian authorities.”
The letter additionally said that property belonging to the U.S., Israel and their allies “do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage.”
Iran’s announcement got here amid renewed efforts by Washington to debate an exit technique from the present battle and simply as 1000’s of U.S. Marines have been ordered to be deployed within the Middle East.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for about 20 p.c of the world’s world provide of oil, in response to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, which started on Feb. 28. Iran attacked some 20 ships throughout the previous three weeks of the battle and blocked the transit of vessels already within the waters, drawing condemnation from U.N. companies and human rights organizations.
Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz has additionally interrupted the worldwide provide of pure gasoline and fertilizer, with over 1,000 ships, most of them oil tankers, and triggered alarm over the destiny of about 20,000 seafarers stranded close to the strait.
Initially, Trump requested NATO international locations to help in opening the waterway, however was met with rejection. He then gave Iran an ultimatum to open the waterway by March 23, however has since backed out of that deadline, giving Iranian leaders till the tip of the week to conform along with his calls for.
Recently Iran has allowed some ships from international locations it deems impartial events to the present battle, to cross. Based on NPR reporting, ships linked to Pakistan and India have been waved via the Strait and that governments of China and Iraq have been in negotiations with Iranian authorities to allow a secure passage of their ships. About 90 p.c of crude oil destined for Asia passes via Hormuz.
In the letter to the U.N. Security Council member states, Iranian officers additionally mentioned they’d applied “a set of precautionary measures” and referred to as on international locations to adjust to them, with out specifying what they have been.
Oil costs have surged globally since Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and steady assaults on vitality infrastructure within the Gulf international locations, with senior worldwide officers warning of the largest world vitality safety disaster.
Lebanon says greater than 30 folks killed in in a single day strikes
Israel’s navy continued to pound Beirut and its southern suburbs, saying it was targeting sites belonging to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s well being ministry mentioned not less than 33 folks have been killed within the in a single day strikes, together with a 3-year-old youngster. Israel’s operations in Lebanon have killed greater than 1,000 folks this month, and displaced greater than 1 million, based on Lebanese authorities.
Israel started its navy operations in Lebanon earlier this month after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in help of Iran following the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli assault.
On Tuesday, Israel’s protection minister, Israel Katz, mentioned Israel plans to retain management of the territory south of the Litani River, which might successfully transfer the Israeli-Lebanese border north by about 10 to twenty miles.
Katz threatened to make use of the “model” of destruction the Israeli navy has used within the Gaza Strip in Lebanon, the place many residential areas have been razed.
Paul Khreish, a municipal official within the southern Lebanese village of Ain Ebel, informed NPR by telephone that he was fearful his area “will no longer be Lebanese” by the tip of Israel’s newest navy marketing campaign. Khreish mentioned he was additionally uncertain about whether or not it was secure to flee, as a result of the roads are usually being hit by Israeli strikes.
In its newest report, Human Rights Watch mentioned Israel’s ways of forcible displacement and deliberate focusing on of civilians in Lebanon threat violating worldwide legislation and represent struggle crimes.
Lebanon’s relationship with Iran, in the meantime, has deteriorated considerably within the final month due to tensions over Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry mentioned Tuesday it had withdrawn the Iranian ambassador’s accreditation and demanded he depart the nation by Sunday.
Lebanon’s authorities has sought worldwide assist in disarming Hezbollah, which continues to be a strong drive in Lebanese politics. Some in Lebanon blame Hezbollah for dragging them into the present struggle.
— Lauren Frayer
U.N. estimates the struggle has price Arab area $63 billion in financial losses as strikes proceed
Kuwait says a drone hit a gas tank at its worldwide airport in a single day, inflicting a big explosion and fireplace. That airport and others within the area have been attacked a number of occasions by Iranian drones within the struggle.
In addition to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia says it intercepted extra missiles and drones in a single day focusing on its oil-rich jap area, with particles falling on houses there.
The U.N. human rights chief, Volker Turk, says U.S. and Israeli assaults are hitting houses, hospitals, faculties and cultural websites in Iran. He additionally says Iranian assaults are hanging vitality and water infrastructure in Gulf Arab international locations.
“Many of the strikes in this conflict raise serious concerns under international law, which prohibits attacks targeting civilians and their infrastructure,” Turk mentioned.
The U.N. assesses the struggle has already precipitated some $63 billion in financial losses throughout the Arab area, he added.
— Aya Batrawy
Iraq will get drawn additional into the struggle
Members of Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance of factions now built-in into the common military, carry the coffin of the Hashd al-Shaabi operations commander for Al-Anbar, Saad Dawai alongside others throughout a mass funaral in Baghdad on March 24, 2026.
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Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP by way of Getty Images
Iraq mentioned an assault Wednesday close to a military medical middle killed not less than seven Iraqi troopers and has complained to the U.S. over the airstrikes.
The Iraqi authorities mentioned a strike hit close to a base of Iran-backed paramilitaries in Iraq’s western Anbar province. The authorities did not establish the attackers however mentioned it had summoned the highest U.S. diplomat within the nation to formally complain about what it thought of a breach of worldwide legislation.
Iraq has a strategic partnership with the U.S. whereas additionally internet hosting highly effective Iran-backed militias which might be formally a part of Iraqi authorities forces however not solely below authorities management. Some of these militias have been focusing on U.S. bases in Iraq and Iraq’s Kurdistan area.
The U.S. and Israel have been launching airstrikes in retaliation for assaults by the Iran-backed Iraqi teams on U.S. positions because the struggle in Iran started.
Iraq’s National Security Council mentioned Wednesday it approved Iran-backed paramilitary forces to reply to any assaults on their positions, probably giving the inexperienced gentle for assaults on U.S. forces.
The transfer got here after airstrikes killed not less than 15 fighters from Iran-backed Iraqi teams, together with a senior commander, in Anbar province on Tuesday, based on the Iraqi authorities.
The authorities mentioned assaults additionally focused the residence within the metropolis of Mosul of a senior Iraqi official who heads the forces.
On Wednesday, the Peshmerga militia forces within the Kurdistan area of northern Iraq mentioned six Iranian ballistic missiles struck one among their headquarters close to Irbil on Tuesday, killing six fighters.
Iraq’s authorities mentioned it summoned the Iranian ambassador to complain in regards to the assault — the primary recognized by Iran on the Iraqi Kurdistan area’s forces within the struggle.
Iran has stepped up assaults within the area, together with in Irbil, the Kurdish area’s capital, the place the provincial authorities mentioned U.S. fighter jets have been patrolling.
Regional President Nechirvan Barzani mentioned Iran acknowledged that the assault was a “mistake” and mentioned it was investigating.
— Jane Arraf
Daniel Estrin contributed reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel, Quil Lawrence from New York, Aya Batrawy from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Lauren Frayer from Beirut, Jane Arraf from Amman, Jordan, Rebecca Rosman from Paris and Alex Leff from Washington.