Hopes for a swift end to the US-Iran conflict dimmed on Wednesday after Tehran formally rejected Washington’s ceasefire framework and offered a rival peace plan instead. An unnamed Iranian official confirmed through state television that the country had turned down the proposal delivered by Pakistan, declaring that Iran would end hostilities only when its own conditions were satisfied. Despite the diplomatic setback, third-party contacts remained active on multiple fronts.
The rejected US blueprint reportedly contained 15 points, including demands for nuclear disarmament, limits on Iranian ballistic missiles, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the promise of sanctions relief. These issues had been deeply contested in pre-war diplomatic rounds and showed little sign of resolution now. A senior Iranian official speaking to a regional broadcaster described the proposal as extremely maximalist and far too weighted toward American interests.
Iran’s own five-point plan called for a cessation of hostilities, an end to targeted killings of Iranian officials, security guarantees, financial reparations for war damage, and Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz. US Admiral Brad Cooper announced that American forces had struck over 10,000 targets inside Iran, destroying 92% of the Iranian navy’s largest vessels and more than two-thirds of its missile and drone production facilities. Israel continued simultaneous strikes on Iranian territory, including a submarine development site in Isfahan.
The war’s economic shockwaves were being felt worldwide. Oil prices had spiked dramatically due to Iran’s near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil supplies pass. President Trump’s domestic standing had deteriorated sharply, with his approval rating hitting an all-time low and a majority of Americans expressing concern that the war had overreached its original goals.
Egyptian and Pakistani officials expressed cautious hope that in-person negotiations could begin by Friday. China’s foreign minister separately urged dialogue, noting a faint glimmer of hope had emerged. Trump insisted publicly that Iran wanted a deal badly but was afraid to say so openly, framing the diplomatic impasse as a matter of perception rather than substance.