Iranian military rejects Trump’s negotiation call as Israel, Iran launch airstrikes

Airstrikes flew between Israel and Iran as Tehran’s unified military command dismissed President Donald Trump’s assertion that Washington was negotiating an end to the conflict, bluntly saying the United States was “negotiating with itself.”

The rebuke — issued by the joint command dominated by the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — came amid reports that the US had transmitted a 15-point proposal to Tehran for discussion.

“Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you (Trump) negotiating with yourself?” Ebrahim Zolfaqari, the top spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, asked on state television.

“People like us can never get along with people like you,” he added.

Iran’s leadership has previously rejected talks with the United States, pointing to past occasions when Washington launched strikes during high-level negotiations.

Now four weeks into a war that has killed thousands, triggered the most severe energy shock in modern times and stoked global inflation worries, the aerial campaign shows no sign of easing.

In a Telegram post, the Israeli Defence Forces said it carried out a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran. Iran’s semi-official SNN news agency reported that the strikes struck a residential district, and that rescuers were combing rubble for survivors.

Israeli emergency service personnel gather at the site of an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia reported repelling new drone attacks but did not specify their origin.

Kuwaiti authorities said drones struck a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, igniting a blaze but causing no casualties, the Civil Aviation Authority said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced a fresh round of attacks on locations in Israel — including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona — as well as on US bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, state media reported.

Mr Trump told reporters at the White House that the US was in “negotiations” with “the right people” in Iran and that Tehran badly wanted a deal.

Markets reacted: stocks rose and oil prices eased on reports Washington was seeking a month-long ceasefire and had sent a 15-point framework to Iran, fueling hopes of reopening Persian Gulf oil exports.

People inspect the remains of an Iranian missile that landed in the West Bank

The New York Times reported that Washington had delivered a 15-point plan aimed at ending the war.

Israel’s Channel 12, citing three sources, said the US was pursuing a month-long truce to create space to discuss the plan.

A person familiar with the matter confirmed that a plan had been sent to Tehran but gave no further detail.

According to the Israeli outlet, the proposal would call for dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme, for Iran to stop supporting proxy groups such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

A plume of smoke and a fragment of concrete rise from the site of an Israeli airstrike of Tyre

On 28 February the US and Israel struck targets in Iran after saying talks to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme had not produced sufficient progress, though mediator Oman said there had been meaningful movement in discussions.

The US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.

Since Washington launched “Operation Epic Fury” last month, Iran has attacked countries hosting US bases, struck Gulf energy infrastructure and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

Tehran has told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organization that “non-hostile vessels may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities,” according to a note seen by Reuters.

The de facto shutdown of the waterway has produced the worst energy supply shock in history, pushed fuel prices skyward and disrupted global aviation.

Asia sits at the front line of the crisis: it purchases more than 80% of the crude that typically moves through the Strait of Hormuz, and governments there are scrambling to blunt shortages with measures such as mandatory remote work and stimulus schemes last seen during the Covid pandemic.

Some nations have declared public holidays and closed schools in response to the disruption.

The International Energy Agency has agreed to an unprecedented release of roughly 400 million barrels from strategic reserves to address the crisis, and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi requested an additional release from IEA chief Fatih Birol when they met, Jiji Press reported.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was ready to host talks between the US and Iran aimed at ending the war.

Pakistan maintains long-standing ties with neighbouring Iran and has been cultivating a relationship with Mr Trump.

Despite reporting of possible talks, the Pentagon is expected to send thousands more soldiers from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the plans told Reuters on Tuesday, adding to an already massive US troop presence.

The reinforcements would join some 50,000 US forces in the region, accelerating Washington’s buildup and raising fears the conflict could be prolonged.