As the war nears one month, the Trump administration is keeping options open — submitting a ceasefire plan to Iran while preparing to deploy up to 3,000 U.S. Army paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.
Revelations about the ceasefire proposal come as multiple Iranian officials deny any negotiations. The planned paratrooper deployment would supplement roughly 50,000 U.S. troops already in the region. Israel continued to strike targets in Iran, and Iran fired more missiles at Israel.
Up to 3,000 U.S. paratroopers to be sent to Middle East
Between 2,000 and 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division have received written orders to deploy, according to a U.S. government official speaking on background. The troops are expected to come from the division’s Immediate Response Force, which can mobilize worldwide within 18 hours.
Combined with two Marine Expeditionary Units already moving toward the Persian Gulf, the movement could place 6,000 to 8,000 U.S. ground forces in close proximity to Iran. President Trump has alternately said he does not plan to put boots on the ground and that he will not rule it out.
— Quil Lawrence
Trump administration drafts ceasefire plan
A draft 15-point ceasefire proposal reported by the New York Times and Israel’s Channel 12 reportedly calls for Iran to commit to never pursue nuclear weapons and to dismantle existing capabilities. A person briefed on the proposal told NPR that Channel 12’s summary reflected an early version and that changes have been made; NPR has not seen the document.
Two Pakistani officials told the Associated Press that Iran has received the proposal. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country “stands ready” to facilitate talks between the U.S. and Iran, tagging the X accounts of President Trump, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
— Daniel Estrin
Iranian official mocks negotiation claims
Iranian leaders continue to deny talks are underway, even as U.S. officials say negotiations are happening. In a recorded statement aired on state television, Iranian military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari said there were no talks.
“The strategic power you used to talk about has turned into a strategic failure,” Zolfaghari said, accusing the U.S. of dressing “up your defeat as an agreement.” He added, “Our first and last word has been the same from day one, and it will stay that way: Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you. Not now, not ever.”
Iran allows passage of “non-hostile” ships through Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it would facilitate the “safe passage” of “non-hostile” ships in the Strait of Hormuz, but excluded vessels belonging to the United States, Israel and others engaged in the war. The announcement was posted by Iran’s U.N. mission on X and followed a letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres asserting that passage for countries Iran deems neutral would be coordinated with Iranian authorities.
The letter said U.S., Israeli and allied assets “do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage.” Iran closed the strait earlier in response to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that began on Feb. 28, attacked about 20 ships during the past three weeks and blocked transit of vessels already in the waters. The chokehold has disrupted roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments, interrupted natural gas and fertilizer supplies, and left over 1,000 ships — most oil tankers — and about 20,000 seafarers stranded near the strait.
Initially, Trump asked NATO partners to help open the waterway but was rebuffed. He then gave Iran an ultimatum to open the waterway by March 23, later backing off that deadline and extending it to the end of the week. Recent reporting indicates Iran has allowed some ships from countries it sees as neutral — including vessels linked to Pakistan and India — to pass, while China and Iraq were reportedly negotiating safe passage for their ships. About 90 percent of crude oil bound for Asia transits Hormuz.
Oil prices have surged since Iran’s blockade and continued attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf countries, with senior international officials warning of the largest global energy security crisis in years.
— Daniel Estrin, Quil Lawrence and Rebecca Rosman