Iran rejects US ceasefire plan, issues its own demands as strikes land
across the Mideast
[March 26, 2026]
By JON GAMBRELL, MIKE CORDER, MUNIR AHMED and AAMER
MADHANI
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran on Wednesday dismissed an
American plan to pause the war in the Middle East and launched more
attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, including strikes that hit a
fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire.
Iran's defiance came as Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and as the
United States deployed paratroopers and more Marines to the region.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview on state TV
that his government has not engaged in talks to end the war, "and we do
not plan on any negotiations.” That followed a report from Iranian state
TV's English-language broadcaster quoting an anonymous official as
saying Iran rejected America’s ceasefire proposal and has its own
demands to end the fighting.
Earlier, two officials from Pakistan, which transmitted the U.S. plan to
Iran, described the 15-point proposal broadly, saying it addressed
sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, limits on
missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of
the world’s oil is shipped.
An Egyptian official involved in the mediation efforts said the proposal
also includes restrictions on Iran’s support for armed groups. The
officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet
released.
President Donald Trump, speaking at a fundraiser Wednesday night in
Washington, insisted that Iran still wants to cut a deal.
“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so
badly, but they’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be
killed by their own people,” said Trump, who added: “They’re also afraid
they’ll be killed by us."
Iran has long insisted it won’t discuss its ballistic missile program or
its support of regional militias, which it views as key to its security.
And its ability to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz
represents one of its biggest strategic advantages.
Iran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure, along with its
restrictions on the strait, have sent oil prices skyrocketing, putting
pressure on the U.S. to find a way to end the chokehold and calm
markets.
More U.S. troops are on the way to the Middle East
At least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division will be sent to
the Mideast in the coming days, three people with knowledge of the plans
told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to
discuss sensitive military plans.
The paratroopers are trained to jump into hostile or contested areas to
secure key territory and airfields.
The Pentagon is also sending about 5,000 more Marines trained in
amphibious assaults and thousands of sailors to the region.
Most Americans believe the U.S. military action against Iran has gone
too far and many are worried about the cost of gasoline, according to a
new AP-NORC poll.
The survey indicates that while Trump’s approval rating is holding
steady, the conflict could be swiftly turning into a major political
liability for his Republican administration.
Diplomatic efforts face major challenges
Mediators are pushing for possible in-person talks between the Iranians
and the Americans, perhaps as soon as Friday in Pakistan, the Egyptian
and Pakistani officials said.
Trump has said the U.S. is “in negotiations right now” and that the
participants include special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law
Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD
Vance. Trump has not identified anyone from Iran taking part.
Press TV, the English-language broadcaster on Iranian state television,
cited an Iranian five-point proposal that includes a halt to killings of
its officials, safeguards against future attacks on Iran, reparations
for the war, the end of hostilities and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty
over the Strait of Hormuz.”
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First responders inspect a destroyed car at the site of a
residential building hit in an overnight strike during the
U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province,
northwestern Iran, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matin Hashemi)
Those measures, particularly reparations and its continued chokehold
over the Strait of Hormuz, likely will be unacceptable to the White
House.
While Iran and Oman both have territory in the strait, its narrow
shipping channels are viewed as international waters through which
all ships can travel.
Any talks between the U.S. and Iran would face monumental
challenges. It’s not clear who in Iran’s government has the
authority and willingness to negotiate .
Iran remains highly suspicious of the United States, which twice
under the Trump administration has attacked during high-level
diplomatic talks, including when the war began on Feb. 28.
Israel launches new strikes on Iran — and also comes under attack
The Israeli military said Wednesday it had carried out waves of
airstrikes in Tehran, following strikes a day earlier targeting an
Iranian submarine development center in Isfahan.
Missile alert sirens sounded in Israel as Iran and the
Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon launched attacks.
Hezbollah has fired rockets into northern Israel around the clock
since the war began.
Iran also kept up pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors. Saudi
Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it had destroyed at least eight
drones in its oil-rich Eastern Province, and missile alert sirens
sounded in Bahrain. Kuwait said it shot down multiple drones but
that one hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport.
Meanwhile, six people allegedly linked to Hezbollah were arrested in
Kuwait for planning to assassinate Gulf leaders, Kuwait's Ministry
of Interior said in a statement. Fourteen associates had fled the
country, officials said.
More than 1,500 people have been killed in Iran, its Health Ministry
says. Twenty people have been killed in Israel; two Israeli soldiers
have also been killed in Lebanon. At least 13 U.S. military members
have been killed. More than a dozen civilians in the occupied West
Bank and Gulf Arab states have also died.
Nearly 1,100 people have died in Lebanon, authorities said. In Iraq,
where Iranian-supported militant groups have entered the conflict,
80 members of the security forces have been killed.
Energy prices fall back but remain high
The news of potential negotiations drove down the price of oil.
Brent crude oil, the international standard, was trading around $100
a barrel Wednesday, after nearing as high as $120 earlier last week.
That's still up around 35% from the start of the war.
Economists and leaders have warned of far-reaching effects if energy
prices remain high — from rising prices on food and other basics to
higher rates for mortgages and auto loans.
Iran has allowed a small number of ships through the Strait of
Hormuz, but has said no ships from the U.S., Israel or countries
seen as linked to them can pass.
___
Madhani reported from Washington, Corder from The Hague,
Netherlands, and Ahmed from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Samy
Magdy in Cairo, Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv, Israel, Qassim
Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Nicholas Riccardi in Washington
contributed to this report.
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