US Extends "15-Point Olive Branch" to Iran; Will Trump's Confident Remarks Be "Slapped in the Face" Again?

Caixin March 25 News (Editor: Huang Junzhi) According to CCTV News, on Tuesday (March 24) local time, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States and Iran are “currently in negotiations” and hinted that Tehran is eager to reach a peace agreement. The U.S. government also proposed a conflict-ending plan through Pakistan, containing 15 conditions covering nuclear programs, missile capabilities, and regional issues.

On that day, Trump made several “quite confident” remarks, mainly including:

The U.S. is communicating with “the right people,” and Iran “wants to reach an agreement”;

The U.S. is negotiating with Iran, and the U.S. military has “freedom of action” over Tehran;

Iran is “beginning to communicate rationally” and has agreed to “never possess nuclear weapons,” with previous military actions “destroying its nuclear capabilities”;

U.S.-Iran negotiations “may already be quite close to reaching an agreement”;

The U.S. has “achieved victory” in actions against Iran, and Iran has been “completely defeated,” with the current situation not being a “stalemate conflict,” but rather Iran “being thoroughly weakened militarily.”

That said, Iran has yet to respond clearly. It is reported that the U.S. is discussing with multiple mediators the possibility of holding high-level peace talks with Iran as early as this week, but is still awaiting a response from Tehran. According to Israeli sources on March 24, the U.S. intends to propose a one-month ceasefire plan to discuss the aforementioned 15-point agreement aimed at ending the war with Iran.

Specifically, the U.S. mainly demands: Iran to dismantle its current nuclear capabilities, pledge not to develop nuclear weapons, ban uranium enrichment on its soil, transfer about 60% of its high-enriched uranium stockpile, dismantle nuclear facilities such as Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, and allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) full inspections. Additionally, the U.S. requires Iran to stop supporting regional allies’ armed groups, prohibit funding, command, and weapons support, limit ballistic missile size and range for defensive purposes, and ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open.

In exchange, Iran might receive a comprehensive lifting of international sanctions, U.S. support for its civilian nuclear projects, and the cancellation of the “Rapid Restoration of Sanctions” mechanism.

It is unclear how widely this plan, relayed by Pakistan, has been circulated among Iranian officials, or whether Iran will accept it as a basis for negotiations. It is also uncertain whether Israel, which has bombed Iran alongside the U.S., supports this proposal.

However, the implementation of this plan indicates that the U.S. government is intensifying efforts to end this four-week-long war involving several other countries. On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif posted on social media that Pakistan “fully supports ongoing dialogue efforts aimed at ending” the Middle East conflict.

He wrote: “After obtaining the consent of the U.S. and Iran, Pakistan is ready and honored to serve as a host at any time, providing a meaningful and decisive negotiation platform for a comprehensive resolution of the current conflict.”

However, there are no signs that the war will end soon: Some Israeli officials say they expect the war to continue for several weeks. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also acknowledged that diplomatic efforts are underway, but she stated: “While President Trump and his negotiators are exploring this emerging diplomatic possibility, the ‘Epic Fury Operation’ continues to pursue the military objectives set by Trump and the Pentagon.”

Additionally, in an interview released by Iranian state television on March 23, Iran’s new Supreme Leader’s military advisor, Mohsen Rezaei, emphasized that Iran will only cease fighting once it receives full compensation, all economic sanctions are lifted, and it obtains international legal guarantees of non-interference from the U.S. in Iran’s affairs.