It should come as no surprise that Iran quickly rejected the Trump administration’s 15-point peace plan for ending the ongoing conflict. The proposal, as currently formulated, is a non-starter as a pathway to peace.
The plan put forward by Washington this week contains many of the same maximalist conditions rejected by Tehran in the last round of negotiations, held in February in Geneva. They include a termination of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, destruction of the country’s nuclear facilities, limits on its ballistic missile programme, and an end to support for Tehran’s regional proxies. On Friday, Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 10 days, insisting that talks “are going very well”.
In presenting these demands, the Trump administration seems to believe that four weeks of fighting have substantially improved the U.S. bargaining position and weakened Iran’s resistance. This view is mistaken.
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