'US is negotiating with itself', Iran sets tough terms for ceasefire

The Iranian envoy to Pakistan has said that no negotiations have taken place between Iran and the United States, news agency AFP reported. Meanwhile, US officials were said to be frustrated on Wednesday by a list of conditions Iran laid out for entering into negotiations to end the war, as mixed signals continued to emerge regarding US President Donald Trump’s fledgling efforts to halt the fighting.Among those demands, the report said, the Islamic Republic was seeking economic control over the Strait of Hormuz, a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the continued ability to developing its ballistic missile program without any limitations.The demands were presented via third-party intermediaries, the report said, and there has been no direct contact between Washington and Tehran.Iran has insisted it isn’t engaged in negotiations with the US.

IRAN DEMANDS:

— CLOSURE of all US bases in the GULF

— NO further attacks GUARANTEE

— END to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah

— LIFTING of all sanctions on Iran

— WAR damage reparations

— NO restrictions on its missile program

Think Trump biting? pic.twitter.com/abaSOHz2Sh

— RT (@RT_com) March 25, 2026

Earlier, Iran had received a 15-point proposal from the United States aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the war, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday citing two Pakistani officials. The proposal included “sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, missile limits and access for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” according to the report.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned the United States on Wednesday over troop movements in the region. “We are closely monitoring all US movements … Do not test our resolve to defend our land,” he said on X. He added that US forces could “fall victim” to what he described as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions. The warning comes as the United States deploys thousands of Marines and additional warships to the region, even as officials pursue possible talks to end the war with Iran.