Trump’s Iran Peace Plan: Four weeks into the war in West Asia, the US has sent Iran a 15-point proposal to end a conflict that has claimed over 2,000 lives and sparked a global energy crisis.Iran has received the US plan to Iran via Pakistan, the Associated Press reported. President Donald Trump also told reporters on Tuesday that the US was talking to “the right people” in Iran to reach a deal — something Tehran has strongly denied.The diplomatic moves come as the US looks for an off-ramp from a war that has rapidly escalated and shows no sign of stopping any time soon — Washington is moving around 2,000 paratroopers to West Asia to back up a contingent of Marines already heading there, and Iran launched more attacks Wednesday on Israel and the Persian Gulf region, including an strike on Kuwait International Airport.While the exact details of Trump’s “Iran peace plan” remain under the covers, its broad outlines suggest sweeping and maximalist proposals — especially regarding Iran’s ballistic missiles and its nuclear programme — that Tehran is unlikely to agree to. Here is a look at the likely proposal, and how Iran and Israel will view it.What’s in Trump’s 15-point plan?Washington DC, so far, hasn’t published any document referring to the 15-point peace plan. But between what Trump has said publicly and what officials have told news organisations such as The New York Times, ABC News and Axios, one can get an idea.Trump told reporters at the White House that Iran had made a valuable concession related to non-nuclear energy and the Strait of Hormuz, although he did not elaborate.PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re in negotiations right now. Iran would like to make a deal, and who wouldn’t if you were there? Pretty much everything they have is gone. pic.twitter.com/KfbKffQFtq— Department of State (@StateDept) March 24, 2026Pakistani officials quoted by the Associated Press described the 15-point plan broadly as touching on sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear programme, monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, missile limits and access for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Multiple news agencies cited Israel’s Hebrew language N12 News which reported that the peace plan includes the full dismantling of Iran’s existing nuclear capabilities, a permanent commitment to never pursue nuclear weapons and a requirement that any already-enriched uranium be handed over.Story continues below this adTrump has said: “It all starts with, they cannot have a nuclear weapon.” This is a demand which he has been adamant on since the beginning.But that’s just the nuclear part. The plan is also believed to propose strict curbs on Iran’s ballistic missile programme and measures to end Tehran’s financing and arming of regional proxy groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, the Associated Press reported.Israel and the US have targeted Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and production facilities, and its nuclear programme in the bombing campaign that began on February 28. American and Israeli leaders have vowed never to allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon. Iran, too, has long maintained that it is not developing any nuclear weapon.Then there’s the maritime routes aspect. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s energy supplies normally flows, would have to be declared a “free maritime zone” and kept permanently open under the proposed deal. Agreeing to this clause, if true, would effectively require Iran to give up any leverage in the present and future.Story continues below this adCiting another Hebrew language website, Israel’s Channel 12, news agency AFP reported that Trump has also proposed a one-month ceasefire during which both sides would negotiate further. The clause requires Iran to hand over its enriched uranium and ban further enrichment entirely.Iran’s position: Denial but…Tehran’s public stance has been defiant. Iran’s foreign ministry has denied any negotiations with the US. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called the reported talks “fake news intended to manipulate financial and oil markets”.Also, if the proposals being reported are indeed true, it is hard to see how Iran would be willing to come on board with the plan. Its leadership may have been decapitated, and its military capabilities may have been eroded, but the regime is still very much in place. Tehran still continues to hold the strategic cards, especially as it continues to maintain its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz.Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told state media that Iran was responding to requests through intermediaries from friendly countries.Story continues below this adHowever, he was sceptical. “Look at the facts. Iran is under constant bombardment and missiles by the US and Israel. So their claim of diplomacy and mediation is not credible. Because they have started this war and they are continuing to attack Iran. So can anyone possibly believe that their claim [of] mediation is credible?” he was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera on Wednesday.Iran’s own conditions for ending the conflict, laid out earlier this month by President Masoud Pezeshkian, are sweeping. Taking to X, Pezeshkian had said the “only way to end this war” was recognition of Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression.Talking to leaders of Russia and Pakistan, I reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region. The only way to end this war—ignited by the Zionist regime & US—is recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm int’l guarantees against future aggression.— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) March 11, 2026There was, however, one concrete move that Trump seized on. Tehran announced it would allow “non-hostile” vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz — a partial easing of the blockade that has roiled global energy markets. Soon after this, Trump on Tuesday evening said: “They gave us a present… and it was a very big present worth a lot of money.”Where Israel standsWashington has briefed Israel on the plan, but Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet isn’t exactly celebrating. While the 15-point document broadly aligns with Israel’s stated positions, Israeli officials are sceptical that Iran will agree to Trump’s full demands.The concern isn’t just about Iran — it’s about Trump too. Israeli sources told Axios there is worry that Trump may “cut a deal and stop the war even if only some of his demands are met, postponing the rest for later without a clear solution”.Story continues below this adFor now, Israel’s military has made clear it isn’t standing down. Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin said the country’s war plan was “unchanged” and that operations would continue to “deepen the damage and remove existential threats.” Israel has already carried out a devastating strike on Iran’s South Pars oil field, apparently without taking Trump into confidence.Why US-Iran negotiations face challenges More than 2,000 people have been killed across the region since the war began, including over 1,200 in Iran and more than 1,000 in Lebanon.Thirteen American service members have also lost their lives. The head of the International Energy Agency warned that the global economy faces a “major, major threat” from disruption to oil and gas flows, calling the situation worse than the combined oil crises of 1973 and 1979.But any talks between the US and Iran would face monumental challenges. Many of Washington’s shifting objectives, particularly over Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, remain difficult to achieve. Also, it’s not clear who in Iran’s government has the authority to negotiate — or would be willing to, as Israel has vowed to continue killing the country’s leaders.Story continues below this adThe diplomatic machinery is moving, mostly through intermediaries. Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey have all been passing messages between Tehran and Washington, according to Axios.Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has also emerged as the key interlocutor between the US and Iran.Trump said US Vice-President J D Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are involved in talks with Iran.For now, there is no indication that the war will let up imminently. Israeli officials have said they expect it to continue for weeks. Mediators are pushing for a possible in-person negotiation between the Iranians and the Americans, perhaps as soon as Friday in Pakistan, the Associated Press reported.