Iran ‘on standby for a return to war with the US’

Trump on Iran Missile Capability: ‘I’d Like to Eliminate It’

  • US President Donald Trump says he will “soon be reviewing the plan Iran has just sent to us”, but does not think he can make a deal.
  • The comments come after Iran sent a 14-point plan to the US, calling for guarantees of non-aggression, the lifting of a naval blockade and an end to the war “on all fronts“, including in Lebanon.
  • Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it is on standby for a return to war with the US, saying a resumption of hostilities is “likely”, as “evidence shows that [the US] is not committed to any agreements or treaties”.
  • Israeli forces continue to bombard Lebanon, killing several people and damaging a Catholic convent in Yaroun, as the death toll since March 2 rises to 2,659 people.

IDF official says Iran war will be ‘one big failure’ if enriched uranium not removed

A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that if Iran’s stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium is not removed from the country in the wake of the recent war, the campaign could be considered “one big failure.”

Israeli officials have said that this stockpile is sufficient for 11 nuclear bombs if enriched further. Iran has long maintained that its program is peaceful, despite enriching uranium at near-weapons-grade levels.

Iran official confirms proposal would open Hormuz before nuclear talks

An Iranian proposal so ‌far rejected by President Trump would open shipping in the Strait ⁠of Hormuz and end ⁠the US blockade of Iran while leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear programme for later, a senior Iranian official confirmed.

What’s the latest on the US-Iran talks?

  • US President Donald Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that he is preparing to review a “plan that Iran has just sent to us”.
  • But he said he cannot imagine “it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years”.

  • Trump also told reporters there is “certainly” a possibility of resuming strikes on Iran, if “they misbehave; if they do something bad”.
  • The comments came as Iran submitted a new 14-point proposal to mediators calling for a permanent end to the US-Israeli war. The proposal was sent in response to a nine-point document from the US.
  • Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Washington had requested a ceasefire with a two-month deadline for a deal, but that Tehran has insisted that issues must be resolved within 30 days, and the focus should be on “ending the war“ for good.
  • Iran’s 14-point plan includes guarantees of non-aggression, the withdrawal of US forces from the vicinity of Iran, the lifting of the US’s naval blockade, the release of Iran’s frozen assets, the lifting of sanctions, and an end to the war “on all fronts“, including in Lebanon, according to Tasnim.

Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

  • Trump says he is studying Iran’s latest peace proposal, warning that attacks could resume if the Iranian government “misbehaves” or does “something bad”.
  • The US has approved approximately $8.6bn in major arms deals and military support for Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Israel.
  • TankerTrackers.com says an Iranian supertanker has evaded the US blockade and reached the Asia Pacific, carrying more than 1.9 million barrels of crude oil, valued at nearly $220m.
  • Trump says the US troop withdrawal from Germany could far exceed 5,000 troops, as tensions between the two allies rise over the war on Iran.
  • A convoy of 70 tanker trucks carrying Iraqi crude oil has crossed into Syria via the al-Yarubiyah border crossing, as Baghdad seeks alternative export routes following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

What’s in Iran’s 14-point proposal to end the war?

As we’ve been reporting, US President Trump has said that he is reviewing a new peace proposal sent by Iran.

Here’s what we know about the proposal:

  • According to the Iranian Tasnim news agency, the 14-point plan was formulated in response to a nine-point plan by the US.
  • It says the US requested a two-month ceasefire, but the Iranians want to focus on ending the war instead of extending the truce.
  • It says Iran wants all issues to be resolved within 30 days.
  • The proposal calls for guarantees against future attacks, a withdrawal of US forces from around Iran, the release of frozen Iranian assets and the lifting of sanctions, war reparations, ending all hostilities, including in Lebanon, and “a new mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz”.
  • The US-based Axios news outlet reported that the Iranian proposal set “a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and in Lebanon”.
  • It cited two sources as saying that once a deal is reached, “another month of negotiations would be launched to try and reach a deal on the nuclear program”.