CAIRO/WASHINGTON, March 25 — Israel struck the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday as United States (US) President Donald Trump said that Washington was making progress in its efforts to negotiate an end to the war, with reports of a 15-point plan sent to Tehran.
On Telegram, the Israeli Defence Forces said that it had launched a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran. The semi-official Iranian SNN News Agency said the strikes hit a residential area in the city, with rescuers searching the rubble.
On Wednesday, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia said they had repelled fresh drone attacks, without stating where they originated. Kuwait's Civil Aviation Authority reported that drones targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a fire but no casualties.
Iranian state media also reported that the Revolutionary Guards had launched a new wave of attacks against locations in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona, as well as US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain.
On Tuesday, Trump said that the US was in "negotiations" to end the war, which has already killed thousands and created the worst energy shock in history, leading to global fuel shortages and roiling markets.
Stocks rose, and oil prices fell on Wednesday on reports that the US is seeking a month-long ceasefire and has sent a 15-point plan to Iran for discussion, raising hopes for a resumption of oil exports from the Persian Gulf.
Trump told the media at the White House that the US was talking to "the right people" in Iran to end hostilities, claiming that the Iranians wanted to reach a deal very badly.
However, on Monday, Iran's powerful Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf dismissed such reports as "fake news."
15-point plan sent to Iran
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that Washington sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war in the Middle East. Israel's Channel 12, quoting three sources, said the US was seeking a month-long ceasefire to discuss the 15-point plan.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed that the US had sent a plan to Iran but provided no further details.
Channel 12 also reported that the plan would include the dismantling of Iran's nuclear programme, ceasing support for proxy groups, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28 after saying they had failed to make enough headway in talks aimed at ending Iran's nuclear programme, although mediator Oman said significant progress had been made.
Since then, Iran has attacked countries that host US bases, struck Gulf energy infrastructure, and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.
According to a note seen by Reuters on Tuesday, Iran has told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organisation that "non-hostile vessels" may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with the Iranian authorities.
The effective closure of the waterway, through which 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas normally transit, has created the worst energy supply shock in history, sent fuel prices soaring, and disrupted global aviation.
Pakistan offers to hold US-Iran talks
On Tuesday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was willing to host talks between the US and Iran on ending the war, a day after Trump postponed threats to bomb Iranian power plants after what he called "productive" talks.
Pakistan has long-standing ties to neighbouring Iran's Islamic Republic and has been building a relationship with Trump.
On Tuesday, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters that despite reports of negotiations, the Pentagon is expected to send thousands of soldiers from the US Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, adding to a massive US military buildup.
The forces will add to the 50,000 U.S. troops already in the region and accelerate Washington's massive US military buildup there, fuelling fears of a longer conflict.
