The United States is putting strong pressure on Iran to end the war, but Iran has rejected a U.S.-proposed cease-fire plan and is pushing back by widening the front across the Middle East. With President Donald Trump even invoking "hell" and signaling military strikes, Iran set out its own conditions and ratcheted up the confrontation, deepening turmoil in the region.
On the 25th (local time), according to a compilation of major foreign reports from AP and Reuters, Iran on this day dismissed 15 U.S. proposals for a Middle East war cease-fire. Iran not only rejected the cease-fire plan but also carried out additional attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states at the same time. In particular, the latest strikes triggered a large fire at Kuwait International Airport, spreading damage to neighboring countries. Iran's pushback came as Israel continued airstrikes on Tehran and the United States deployed additional airborne and Marine forces to the area, sending military tensions to a peak.
The United States currently judges that Iran has hit a military ceiling and is pressing for an end to the war close to surrender. White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said at an afternoon briefing that "talks are ongoing" and that "Iran recognizes it is collapsing and has begun looking for an exit." Leavitt added, "If Iran does not acknowledge military defeat, President Trump is prepared to strike much harder, at a level Iran has not experienced." The United States is stressing that the Iranian regime is being pushed back on the battlefield and is urging it to come to the negotiating table.
Iran, for its part, publicly denied any talks and vowed to keep fighting. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a state TV interview, "We have never negotiated with the United States, and we have no plans to do so." Iran is said to have presented its own counterproposal to Washington that includes "a complete halt to aggression and assassinations" and "compensation to Iran" instead of a cease-fire. Analysts say the strategy is to maintain a hard line outwardly while pursuing practical gains internally.
Experts say the conflicting messages from both sides are sophisticated psychological warfare aimed at domestic political goals and gaining the upper hand in negotiations. From Washington's perspective, an early end to the war is needed to ease higher oil prices and political burdens from a protracted conflict. Iran, by contrast, seeks to prove the regime's resilience through shows of force and to extract greater concessions at the table. The NYT assessed, "President Trump wants to tout negotiating results to voters who want the war to end, while Iran's leadership finds it advantageous for regime survival to project a hard-line stance."
The United States has already deployed thousands of additional troops, including the 82nd Airborne Division, into operational positions. Israel also is not stopping strikes aimed at Iran's key facilities. Experts are watching the possibility of senior-level contact between the two sides soon in Islamabad, Pakistan. The NYT predicted, "Both sides have ample motivation to end the war to minimize damage, but regardless of whether they acknowledge it publicly, behind-the-scenes bargaining will grow even more intense."