Iran has flatly rejected a ceasefire framework delivered through Pakistani intermediaries and instead presented Washington with a five-point counter-proposal, signalling that any end to the conflict will be on Tehran’s terms alone. An anonymous Iranian official confirmed via state television that Iran would cease hostilities only when its own conditions were fully met, and that fighting would continue across the region until that point. The bold rejection came even as multiple diplomatic back-channels remained active.
The US proposal — a 15-point framework passed through Pakistan — reportedly called for Tehran to dismantle its nuclear programme, accept restrictions on missile use, lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and accept sanctions relief in return. These were precisely the kinds of sweeping demands that had stalled negotiations long before the current conflict began. Iranian officials described the plan as excessively one-sided and unreasonable, though some suggested the document was still being reviewed internally.
Iran’s five-point counter-proposal demanded an immediate halt to fighting and the assassination of its officials, formal guarantees against future military aggression, war reparations, and continued Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The last point alone was considered a near-certain dealbreaker in Washington. Meanwhile, Israeli forces launched a new wave of airstrikes across Iran, including targets in Isfahan, while Iranian missiles continued striking Israel and Gulf states, sparking a major fire at Kuwait international airport.
The human and military toll of the conflict has been immense. The US military claimed to have hit more than 10,000 targets inside Iran, destroying nearly all of the Iranian navy’s largest warships and over two-thirds of the country’s missile, drone, and naval production infrastructure. At home, the war’s economic fallout was being felt sharply — oil prices surged, Trump’s approval rating fell to a historic low of 36%, and roughly 59% of Americans believed the campaign had gone too far.
Despite the diplomatic stalemate, envoys from Egypt and Pakistan suggested that direct face-to-face negotiations between Washington and Tehran could begin as early as Friday, with Turkey or Pakistan serving as the venue. The White House encouraged cautious optimism while simultaneously preparing to deploy thousands of additional troops to the region — a clear signal that the military option remained firmly on the table.