Hopes for a pause in the Iran war rose after US President Donald Trump sent Tehran a 15-point ceasefire framework, but Iran dismissed Washington’s engagement claims and set out its own terms for stopping hostilities.
Routed through intermediaries, the US plan proposes a temporary halt to fighting in return for strict limits on Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes and other strategic concessions, together with sanctions relief and economic incentives.
According to multiple reports reviewed by The Tribune, the proposal envisions a time-bound cessation to create room for talks while pressing sweeping demands on Tehran’s strategic capabilities. It calls on Iran to renounce any nuclear weapons ambitions permanently, accept tight limits on uranium enrichment, dismantle key nuclear facilities, curb its ballistic missile programme and end support for regional groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
The framework also seeks guarantees for uninterrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. In exchange, it offers phased relief from US and international sanctions and the prospect of US-backed assistance for a civilian nuclear programme under international supervision.
Diplomats described the package as a reworked version of earlier proposals that collapsed in past escalations, with little change to the core US demands.
Tehran, however, responded cautiously and said any ceasefire would depend on its own conditions. Reports indicate Iran has demanded an immediate halt to military operations, guarantees against future US attacks and compensation for war damage. It has also ruled out talks on its missile programme, calling that capability central to national defence.
“Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met,” an Iranian government official told Press TV, adding that Iran would continue defending itself and inflict “heavy blows” on the enemy until its demands were met.
The official compared the current offer to two earlier rounds of talks in spring and winter 2025, which Tehran described as deceptive, saying the US had no genuine intent to negotiate and later launched military action.
One report said Iran’s initial response was sent to Pakistan for delivery to Washington.
The developments came as the US stepped back from a 48-hour ultimatum to strike Iranian power infrastructure after warnings of retaliation from Tehran. At the White House, Trump said negotiations were ongoing and that the “other side would like to make a deal,” naming senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, as involved.
In an unusual remark, Trump said Iran had offered a “very big” oil- and gas-related “present,” without elaborating: “They did something yesterday that was amazing… a tremendous amount of money.” He also said a planned US strike on a major Iranian power facility had been put on hold because of the talks: “We held off based on the fact that we are negotiating.”
Trump asserted US military dominance, claiming American forces were operating freely over Tehran and that much of Iran’s air-defence capability had been neutralised. He further said Iran had agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons, though there was no independent confirmation.
Despite these tentative diplomatic signals, a wide gap remains between Washington’s demands and Tehran’s conditions, leaving the prospects for de-escalation uncertain as global markets react to each sign of a possible ceasefire.
