Iran Rejects Trump’s Proposals to End the War But Offers 5 of Its Own Conditions

Yet This Is First Sign that the 2 Sides Are Actually in Negotiations

By NPR Staff / Updated March 25, 20261:43 PM ET 

Iran’s government on Wednesday rejected President Trump’s plan for ending the war and vowed to continue fighting until a list of Iran’s own conditions are met. Iran’s demands include war reparation payments and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Although the response may be a blow to the U.S. proposal, it signaled the opening of some sort of negotiating between the two countries as the war approaches the one-month mark.

Israel is determined to keep fighting Iran and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran makes a counterproposal demanding reparations
Iran has rejected President Trump’s plan for ending the war and presented five conditions of its own.

Multiple Iranian diplomatic offices shared the government’s demands on social media after Iran’s state Press TV first reported them, citing an Iranian senior political security official.

The demands include safeguards against future attacks on Iran, the payment of war reparations to the country and a recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Press TV said the U.S. proposal had been “delivered via a friendly regional intermediary.” The Associated Press reported earlier that Pakistan — which has warm ties with both the U.S. and Iran — gave Iran the message.

The U.S. proposal, as first reported by The New York Times and Israel’s Channel 12, included Iran’s commitment to never pursuing nuclear weapons and dismantling any existing nuclear capabilities.

A person briefed on the proposal told NPR that the summary published by Channel 12 reflected an early version and that changes had been made since then, though it wasn’t clear what the changes were. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. NPR has not seen a copy of the proposal.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said on social media his country “stands ready” to facilitate talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the war. He followed his statement by tagging the X accounts of President Trump, as well as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.

— Alex Leff, Daniel Estrin and Emily Feng

Up to 3,000 U.S. paratroopers will deploy to the Middle East

Between 2,000 and 3,000 U.S. Army paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division have received written orders to deploy to the Middle East, according to a U.S. government official who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The troops are expected to come from the division’s Immediate Response Force, which can mobilize worldwide within 18 hours.

The deployment, combined with two Marine Expeditionary Units already moving toward the Persian Gulf, could bring 6,000 to 8,000 U.S. ground troops into close proximity to Iran — a build-up that comes as Trump has alternatively said he does not plan to put boots on the ground, while also saying he will not rule it out.

— Quil Lawrence