War in the Middle East: Trump optimistic about chances of reaching an agreement with Iran

Donald Trump has proposed a peace plan to Iran and expressed optimism about the chances of reaching an agreement, with Tehran indicating that it will allow non-hostile ships to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz on the 26th day of the war engulfing the Middle East.

Iran and the United States are negotiating to try to end the conflict, as reiterated by the US president, but he also added that American military operations against the Islamic Republic continue “relentlessly.”

American media reports the dispatch of 3,000 American paratroopers to the Middle East, while the Israeli army emphasized its continued actions in Iran and Lebanon, with Tehran once again sending missiles towards Israel.

However, several media outlets, including The New York Times and the Israeli TV channel Channel 12, suggest that the Trump administration presented a 15-point peace plan to Iran through Pakistan, which maintains good relations with both parties.

According to three unidentified sources quoted by Channel 12, the US is proposing a one-month ceasefire to allow Iranian authorities to consider their demands. The points include addressing issues related to Iran’s nuclear program and the cessation of support for regional proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas, with an emphasis on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for maritime navigation.

In return, Iran would receive relief from international sanctions and support for its civilian nuclear program.

Iran has declared that “non-hostile ships” can pass through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the relevant authorities.

Almost 20% of the world’s hydrocarbon production goes through this strategic strait, and recent blockages by Tehran have driven up oil prices.

Donald Trump mentioned on Tuesday a “very big gift” related to hydrocarbons but did not provide details; this could be linked to the partial reopening of the strait. In response, oil prices dropped by nearly 6% shortly after the Tokyo Stock Exchange opened.

The US president also affirmed that negotiations are taking place “right now” with Tehran.

– Who is the counterpart in Iran? –

“What I said yesterday (Monday) was exactly right,” emphasized the US president, specifying that his envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are involved.

By mentioning these talks, Donald Trump postponed his threat to strike Iran’s power grid “by five days,” reassuring markets temporarily. He later praised the US and Tehran for finding “major points of agreement” within these negotiations held with a “senior Iranian leader.”

But who? The only certainty is that it is not the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been unseen since his appointment by Iranian authorities after the death of his father on the first day of the war, February 28.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the President of the Iranian Parliament – identified by the Axios news site as the US’s counterpart – denied any involvement. The Iranian diplomacy admitted receiving, via “friendly countries,” messages conveying an American request for negotiations.

While awaiting potential diplomatic progress, there was an Israeli-American strike on the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, confirmed by the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization in the evening without causing damage. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called for “maximum restraint to avoid any nuclear safety risks during conflict.”

In Israel, 12 people were injured near Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening by one or more missiles from Iran, according to Israeli emergency services, with risks of a new escalation affecting the entire region.

In Lebanon, where Israel aims to take control of a large area in the south for security, Lebanese authorities have unprecedentedly initiated expulsion proceedings against the Iranian ambassador for interference, sparking backlash from the pro-Iranian Hezbollah.

– “Large-scale strikes” –

On the ground, at least nine people were killed in three Israeli raids against southern Lebanon overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, an area considered a stronghold of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah, according to the Lebanese official news agency ANI.

In the Gulf, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait reported Iranian drone and missile attacks on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military carried out “a series of large-scale strikes in several regions of Iran,” including Isfahan.

“The noises, explosions, and missiles are now part of our daily life,” revealed a 35-year-old woman from Iranian Kurdistan residing in Tehran during a phone interview with AFP.

In Lebanon, explosions rocked areas north of Beirut during the day.

On Tuesday morning, Israeli Defense Minister Israël Katz stated that Israeli forces were “maneuvering within Lebanese territory to seize an advanced defense line” up to the Litani River, about thirty kilometers from the border.

“The hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who were evacuated to the north will not return to south of the Litani until the security of the northern residents (of Israel) is assured,” he warned.