US sends Iran 15-point ceasefire plan as Tehran demands reparations

The United States has sent Iran a 15-point proposal aimed at securing a one-month ceasefire to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as Tehran sets out its own conditions for halting hostilities.

The plan demands that Iran dismantle its nuclear capabilities, halt all uranium enrichment and make a permanent commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons.

It also requires Tehran to end funding and arms supplies to allied groups across the region and ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international shipping. Under the proposal, Iran would further curb its missile production and limit any future use strictly to self-defense.

In return, Washington is offering full sanctions relief, support for the development of a civilian nuclear energy program in southern Iran, including at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, and the removal of the "snapback" mechanism that allows previously lifted United Nations sanctions to be reimposed.

The proposal comes amid US President Donald Trump's claims of productive indirect talks with Tehran, though Iran has denied direct negotiations and insisted on its own conditions.

Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said on Monday that any end to the war must address broader Iranian demands, including the lifting of sanctions and reparations for damages.

Rezaei's remarks came after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the war would only end if the United States and Israel immediately cease their acts of aggression and guarantee that such actions will not recur.

Despite its diplomatic push, the US is reportedly preparing to deploy about 3,000 troops from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. The move would add to the roughly 50,000 US troops already in the region, along with thousands of Marines en route.

It comes after the US military said it had destroyed more than 9,000 Iranian military targets since the conflict began late last month. US Central Command has described the strikes as focused on dismantling Iran's security apparatus, including naval vessels and missile production sites.

Iran, for its part, claimed its forces downed two US AGM-158 cruise missiles during recent hostilities. Iranian state media Tasnim News Agency said on Tuesday that Iran's air defenses had shot down 130 drones and several fighter jets in nearly four weeks of conflict.

The war, which erupted after the US and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran on February 28, has seen strikes intensify and expand from primarily military targets to civilian infrastructure and energy sites, but Trump's claims of diplomatic progress have calmed global markets, which had been in freefall, and pushed oil prices lower.

However, Iran has maintained firm control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil shipments pass, as one of its retaliatory measures. On Tuesday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy ordered another vessel that attempted to pass without full approval to turn back, with its commander stressing that all ships must coordinate closely with Iranian maritime authorities to ensure passage.

Also on Tuesday, Thailand's Foreign Ministry confirmed the safe passage of a Thai oil tanker through the vital chokepoint after coordination efforts.

As the world watches how the conflict unfolds, Pakistan is emerging as a potential mediator. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered to host talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad to facilitate a comprehensive settlement. Trump reposted Sharif's initiative on social media, expressing support for Pakistan's mediation role.