Following earlier reports of Iranian dissatisfaction with the US proposal to end the war, a senior Iranian official described Tehran's initial reaction to Washington's war-ending proposal – transmitted through Pakistan – as "one-sided and unfair," Reuters reported Thursday, while leaving open the prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough should the US adopt a more realistic approach.
The official disclosed to Reuters that the document "was reviewed in detail on Wednesday night by senior Iranian officials and the representative of Iran's Supreme Leader."
"In brief, the proposal suggests that Iran would relinquish its ability to defend itself in exchange for a vague plan to lift sanctions," the official told Reuters.
The official acknowledged there was "still no arrangement for negotiations, and no plan for talks appears realistic at this stage," even as Turkey and Pakistan continued pressing forward with efforts to "establish common ground between Iran and the United States and reduce differences."
Opening a Cabinet meeting at the White House, President Donald Trump delivered an expansive briefing on the progress of Operation "Epic Fury," a name he said was entirely fitting given the scale of the damage inflicted. "We are destroying them completely," Trump declared, adding that over the past three weeks Iran's military capabilities had taken a blow "at a level nobody has ever seen."
Trump detailed that US forces had fully eliminated Iran's navy and air force, and destroyed more than 90% of its missile stockpiles and launchers. Some missiles had been fired, he said, but the overwhelming majority were destroyed on the ground, alongside widespread destruction of production facilities and terror infrastructure.
Turning to diplomacy, Trump asserted that it was the Iranians who were "begging for a deal," dismissing reports that no contacts were taking place between the two countries. "They're not stupid, they're great negotiators – but terrible fighters," he added. Trump stressed that Iran had already signaled a willingness to reach an agreement – something it should have done sooner – and summed up the campaign's ultimate aim bluntly: "You can't give nuclear weapons to lunatics. Their race for the bomb was stopped the moment we brought in the B-2s." On former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Trump said the "madman who's no longer with us, who wanted to blow up the world, had to be stopped."
The president made clear that if Tehran failed to come to terms, Iran would face a "continued US onslaught."
Trump also lashed out at NATO, which has so far ignored his calls to join the US in opening the Strait of Hormuz. "Apparently, they didn't have missiles with the range to reach the island that Britain doesn't want to give us – Diego Garcia – because they didn't want to get dragged in," he said. "We are very disappointed with NATO. They did nothing. And I said 25 years ago that NATO is a paper tiger – that we'd come to their rescue but they'd never come to ours. Now everyone wants to help when the other side is already being destroyed. 'We'd be happy to send ships.' Some said they want to be involved after the war ends. You need to be involved when the war is happening, or before it happens."
Also speaking about Operation "Epic Fury" was Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who has participated in the negotiating rounds with Iran: "We presented a 15-point action plan that was distributed through the Pakistani government, which is serving as mediator. That generated strong statements and conversations. But these are sensitive contacts, and I instructed them to maintain a blackout on the terms and not to negotiate through the media. We'll see where things lead and whether we can convince Iran that this is the peak moment with no good alternatives for them, other than more death and destruction. We have strong signals that this is a possibility, and that if a deal happens, it will be good for Iran, the region, and the world at large."
Witkoff added, "Iran is looking for an exit point. The indication that you are willing to listen to peace proposals was well received. We conveyed that message together with the 15 points for peace."
