Trump cites progress with Iran, US reported to propose plan to end war

[ISLAMABAD/ JERUSALEM] US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US was making progress in its efforts to negotiate an end to war with Iran, including winning an important concession from Teheran, while media outlets reported Washington had sent a 15-point settlement proposal.Trump told reporters at the White House the US was talking to “the right people” in Iran in order to reach a deal to end hostilities, adding the Iranians wanted to reach a deal very badly.“We’re in negotiations right now,” he said.Teheran has denied that direct talks have taken place. Iran’s powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Monday dismissed the reports as “fake news.”Citing two officials, the New York Times reported on Tuesday that Washington sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war in the Middle East. Israel’s Channel 12, quoting three sources, said the US was seeking a month-long ceasefire to discuss the 15-point plan.The Israeli media outlet said the plan would include the dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program, ceasing support for proxy groups, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The Republican president told reporters at the White House that Iran had made a valuable concession related to non-nuclear energy and the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has effectively shut the waterway, where 20 per cent of the world’s oil normally transits, since the US and Israel launched attacks four weeks ago, creating the worst energy supply shock in history and sending fuel prices soaring.“It was a very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money,” Trump said, adding “it was a very nice thing they did.”But US, Israeli and Iranian strikes continued and sources said Washington was preparing to send more troops to the region.Two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday that the US was expected to send thousands of soldiers from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.The forces will add to the 50,000 US troops already in the region and accelerate Washington’s massive US military buildup there, fuelling fears of a longer conflict.Pakistan’s prime minister said on Tuesday that he was willing to host talks between the US and Iran on ending the war, a day after Trump postponed threats to bomb Iranian power plants, saying there had been “productive” talks.In a post on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan fully supported ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue and was ready to host “meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement.”A Pakistani government source said discussions on a meeting were at an advanced stage and if it did happen, “a big ‘if’”, it would take place within a week. Pakistan has long-standing ties to neighbouring Iran’s Islamic Republic and has been building a relationship with Trump.The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb 28 after saying they had failed to make enough headway in talks aimed at ending Iran’s nuclear programme, although mediator Oman said significant progress had been made. REUTERS