Iran on Wednesday rejected Washington's 15-point peace plan to end the chaos in the Gulf, arguing that such a move was illogical and not viable at this stage of the conflict.
This comes as a major blow to the Donald Trump administration, which has sought a ceasefire as the war nears four weeks, and has sharply impacted global energy flows due to Iran's "special conditions" on the Hormuz Strait.
As a result, traffic through the Hormuz Strait—which had seen about 20 per cent of the world's energy exports pass through before the war—remains dismal, with only certain vessels allowed to pass through on a permission basis. US and allied vessels have been warned of attacks if they were to attempt to cross the crucial waterway.
Strait of Hormuz: Traffic still far from normal
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) March 25, 2026
Vessel activity remains highly volatile, with traffic levels significantly below what we’d expect. What’s driving this disruption and who’s still moving through the Strait?
🎙️ Ana Subasic, Trade Risk Analyst at Kpler, breaks down… pic.twitter.com/2TG5XgeH46
According to a report from Iranian state broadcaster PressTV, which cited a “senior political-security official”, Tehran was looking for a complete end to the war, and not a ceasefire.
"Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met," the report said.
This shows a major shift of control in the war as it mirrors statements made by defence secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this month in which he had outlined the progress of US objectives in the war.
"The terms of this war will be set by us at every step," Hegseth had said at the time.
Weeks later, the US remains stuck at an impasse—on whether to accept Tehran's tough conditions for ending the war or to continue fighting a war with painful consequences amid long-term impacts on global markets, oil prices, and the cost of living in various countries.
This comes as a major blow for Pakistan, which has offered to mediate the war between Iran and US-Israel forces as it nears a fourth week.
— THE WEEK (@TheWeekLive) March 25, 2026
(us iran war news israel, pakistan selen container ship hormuz strait irgc alireza tangsiri)https://t.co/BHVRICTTxa
According to Press TV, the unnamed official's five strict conditions to end the war in the Gulf are:
1) A complete halt to "aggression and assassinations" by US-Israel forces
2) The establishment of concrete mechanisms to ensure that the war is not reimposed on Iran
3) Guaranteed and clearly defined payment of war damages and reparations
4) The conclusion of the war across all fronts and for all resistance groups involved throughout the region
5) International guarantees recognising Iran's sovereign right to exercise authority over the Hormuz Strait
While this does come after the US earlier hinted at its military objectives in the war approaching an end, Washington is also allegedly planning to beef up its military response to Iran by planning to deploy 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division, as per a Wall Street Journal report.
However, without a formal order from the US, it is not yet clear if these troops would aid existing military operations or take part in a special ground operation.
