After Nearly A Month Of Epic Fury There’s No Off-Ramp In Clear Sight
Rejected proposals from the U.S. and Iran show how far off the parties are on any negotiated ceasefire.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday said Iran “refused to come to a deal,” adding that President Donald Trump “does not bluff and is prepared to unleash hell.”
Leavitt: "President Trump does not bluff … any violence beyond this point will be because the Iranian regime refused to understand they have already been defeated" pic.twitter.com/siWhW4yEp3
The Iranians claimed that they rejected any move to stop the fighting because of the demands made by the White House and, what they state, is their ongoing successful defensive strategy. They also hit back with their own peace deal demands.
Though the U.S. has started “efforts to establish a ceasefire and start indirect negotiations with Iran… Tehran considers a ceasefire and negotiations currently unjustifiable,” the official Iranian FARS news agency proclaimed on Wednesday. “While U.S. diplomatic movements for a ceasefire have increased in the past five days with mediation by some countries, experts describe the change in Donald Trump’s rhetoric as a sign of Washington’s retreat in the face of Iran’s resistance. However, according to observers, the U.S. government’s effort to maintain its prestige has caused these requests to be presented wrapped in military and media threats.”
“…the Islamic Republic of Iran, before making any decision regarding the ceasefire request presented by U.S. intermediaries, emphasizes achieving its strategic goals in confrontation with the hostile front, and only upon their fulfillment will there be a possibility to end the war (not just a ceasefire),” FARS added. “Political analysts also believe that Iran’s comprehensive resistance against the U.S., the Zionist regime, and their allies has narrowed the maneuvering space for the enemy, forcing them to seek a way out of the current situation.”
However, despite rejecting the peace deal, “Iranian officials nevertheless signaling privately that they are open to negotiations, raising the prospect of a cessation in hostilities, Israel moved to step up its efforts to destroy as much of Iran’s military capabilities as possible,” The New York Times reported.
Iranian officials are also wary of dealing with Trump at all, Axios posited.
“The U.S. is pushing for in-person peace talks as soon as Thursday in Islamabad, Pakistan. But during the two previous rounds of U.S.-Iran talks, Trump green lit crippling surprise attacks while still claiming to be seeking a deal,” the outlet noted. “Iranian officials have told the countries trying to mediate peace talks with the U.S. that they have now been tricked twice by President Trump and “we don’t want to be fooled again.”
🇮🇷🇺🇸Iran suspects Trump's peace talk push is another trick. The U.S. made clear to the Iranians that Trump is serious and floated Vice President Vance's possible involvement in the talks as proof. @MarcACaputo and I write for @axioshttps://t.co/DqY7aZMvQY
The rejection came after the The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the United States sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war. The publication cited officials briefed on the diplomacy.
The publication acknowledged that it did not see a copy of the plan, but explained that officials “shared some of its broad outlines, saying that it addresses Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs,” the Times wrote. “The plan also discusses maritime routes, one of the officials said. Since the beginning of the war, Iran has effectively blocked most Western ships from safely passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway in and out of the Persian Gulf, cutting the global supply of oil and natural gas, and sending the prices soaring.”
It was unclear how widely the plan, delivered by way of Pakistan, had been shared among Iranian officials, the newspaper noted, nor was it clear whether Israel, which has been bombing Iran together with the United States, was on board with the proposal.
Israeli media offered more details about the plan, but said it involved 14 points. They include Iran dismantle its nuclear capabilities, promise not to strive to obtain nuclear weapons or enrich uranium inside the country, limit the number of range of missiles and end its support for proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis among several other demands.
🚨JUST IN: The 14-point document that was given to Iran:
📌 Dismantling of existing nuclear capabilities that have already been accumulated 📌A commitment that Iran will never strive to obtain nuclear weapons 📌No material will be enriched on Iranian soil 📌All enriched… https://t.co/Nv5kXtf8v5
BREAKING: The Trump administration offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, an AP source says, even as the U.S. military is preparing to send at least 1,000 more troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region. https://t.co/Yt51Hh6g4I
Iran set a high bar with its own proposal. It demanded the closure of all U.S. bases in the Gulf , guarantees of no further attacks, an end to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah, lifting all sanctions on Iran, the payment of war damage reparations and no restrictions on the missile program, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“A U.S. official called the demands ridiculous and unrealistic,” the newspaper added.
Iranian demands for an end to the war, according to the WSJ:
– Closure of all US bases in the Gulf – Guarantees of no further attacks – End to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah – Lifting all sanctions on Iran. – War damage reparations – No restrictions on the missile program pic.twitter.com/j0GmXSjT0t
“Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and US Vice President JD Vance, could travel to Islamabad if an agreement was likely to be reached,” Bloomberg news reported on Tuesday, citing one senior Western diplomat. “The US had also considered locations such as Muscat, Doha and Cairo for peace talks, but fraying relations due to the war or mistrust from either Washington or Tehran toward those governments made those options less viable, the person added.”
Iran, however, has reportedly refused to negotiate with anyone other than Vance, accusing Witkoff and Kushner of “backstabbing” because the U.S. launched Epic Fury hours after the two held talks with Tehran.
On Wednesday, Leavitt dismissed claims about any face-to-face negotiations, saying “nothing should be deemed official until formally announced by the White House.”
When asked if face-to-face talks are planned for negotiations with Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tells CBS News’ @JenniferJJacobs: “I’ve seen a lot of speculation and reporting about potential talks that could happen later this week. Nothing should be deemed… pic.twitter.com/yeR1x2vpNK
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament issued a veiled threat on Wednesday.
“Based on some data, Iran’s enemies, with the support of one of the regional countries, are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on X. “All enemy movements are under the full surveillance of our armed forces. If they step out of line, all the vital infrastructure of that regional country will, without restriction, become the target of relentless attacks.”
While Ghalibaf didn’t specify the regional countries he wrote about, he is referring to a potential attack on Kharg Island or other Iranian islands in the Strait of Hormuz. As we previously noted, the U.S. is sending additional troops to the region for such a possibility. Last week, former CENTCOM commander Joseph Votel offered his candid views about the difficulty of taking Kharg Island. You can read our exclusive interview with Votel here.
براساس برخی دادهها، دشمنان ایران با پشتیبانی یکی از کشورهای منطقه، در حال تدارک عملیات اشغال یکی از جزایر ایرانی هستند. تمام تحرکات دشمن تحت اشراف نیروهای مسلح ماست. اگر قدم از قدم بردارند، تمام زیرساختهای حیاتی آن کشور منطقهای بدون محدودیت، هدف حملات بیامان قرار خواهد گرفت.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 25, 2026
Meanwhile, the Iranians are beefing defenses on Kharg Island, CNN reported.
Amid the halting diplomacy, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper released his fifth video update on Epic Fury, saying that the U.S. has hit more than 10,000 Iranian targets and just reached the 10,000 mark “just hours ago.”
Earlier today, CENTCOM released video showing strikes against Iran’s military infrastructure.
U.S. forces are striking targets to degrade the Iranian regime's military infrastructure and capabilities that have threatened American troops and regional partners for decades. pic.twitter.com/wPIR1c6kA0
The IDF claimed it struck two naval cruise missile production sites in Tehran.
🎯STRUCK: 2 key naval cruise missile production sites in Tehran.
IAF fighter jets targeted facilities used by the Iranian regime to develop and manufacture long-range naval cruise missiles capable of destroying targets at sea and on land. pic.twitter.com/RhYP6QTDFt
Iran continued firing missiles at Israel. The following video shows an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a cluster muntion warhead that is difficult to intercept in the terminal phase.
FARS, which has close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that the missile attack had “forc[ed] the American naval fleet to change position.”
CENTCOM did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
The Iranian claim about the Lincoln came a day after Trump told reporters that Iran has unsuccessfully launched 100 missiles at the carrier.
CENTCOM on Wednesday shot down Tehran’s claim that a U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was downed by Iranian air defenses.
🚫FALSE: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a U.S. F/A-18 fighter was struck over Chabahar using new advanced air defense systems.
That claim was made by the official Iranian Press TV news outlet in a post on X.
Two U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy heavy transports flew into Diego Garcia, in the past 48 hours, according to open source flight trackers. One was from Okinawa, Japan and the other from South Korea. Some believe this indicates the shipment of air defense systems and interceptors in the wake of claimed Iranian attempts to strike the island, about 2,500 miles away, with ballistic missiles. It remains unclear what the flights were actually about.
In the past 48 hours, two U.S. Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy heavy transports flew into Diego Garcia, one from Okinawa, Japan and another from South Korea.
Yesterday, we noted that open-source satellite imagery captured over the Indian Ocean yesterday indicates that the USS Tripoli is now docked at Diego Garcia. However, imagery posted today by open-source investigator MT Anderson shows that the Tripoli Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG) has pushed on toward the Middle East, while a lone Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer is now docked there.
That was a quick pit stop. 👇
NSF DIEGO GARCIA UPDATE: ARG Departs, DDG Arrives Mar 25 imagery shows a fast turnover at the logistics hub. ➡️ Tripoli ARG has already pushed off to continue their transit. In their place, a lone Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is now alongside.… https://t.co/QoJhvvJvY0pic.twitter.com/pgsewaBc80
CENTCOM released images of A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support jets taking part in attacks on Iranian ships.
U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft have been used to strike Iranian naval vessels during Operation Epic Fury. pic.twitter.com/VasnOrehax
As the Middle East energy war rages on, an Iranian missile struck near the Orott Rabin power plant in Hadera, Israel, with no reports of direct impact on the facility.
An Iranian missile struck near the Orot Rabin power plant in Hadera, Israel, with no direct impact reported on the facility, according to initial reports. pic.twitter.com/IZOrzEcIsN
The “present” that Trump said Tuesday that Iran had given Washington “was allowing the safe passage of a number of fuel tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days,” the Times of Israel reported on X, citing a senior Arab diplomat and a U.S. official.
The "present" that US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran had given Washington was allowing the safe passage of a number of fuel tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, a senior Arab diplomat and a US official tell @TimesofIsrael (1/7)
However, several European leaders are pushing back against comments made by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that European allies would eventually ‘come together’ to heed Trump’’s call to deploy naval assets in the Strait of Hormuz, Financial Times reported.
Vessels seeking to gain Iranian protection while transiting the Strait of Hormuz are being asked to provide detailed information to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Bloomberg reported. The demand includes lists of crew and cargo, along with voyage details and bills of ladings.The publication also noted that the IRGC is exacting tolls on shipping, charging some vessels $2 million to transit.
Vessels seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian protection are being asked to provide lists of crew, cargo and voyage details to secure a green light from the IRGC https://t.co/EHYbSHxU4W
With the Strait of Hormuz still largely closed for most shipping, China’s foreign ministry, asked whether Chinese ships are passing through, said Beijing has been in communication with all parties.
BREAKING: China’s foreign ministry, asked whether Chinese ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz, said Beijing has been in communication with all parties. pic.twitter.com/5EJzeqjQC1
The Iraqi Ministry of Defense condemned a deadly U.S. airstrike on its medical and logistical facilities in Habbaniya on Wednesday. The incident is the latest in an ongoing series of attacks by Iranian-backed militias on U.S. and allied forces in Iraq, and resulting retaliation strikes that have seen a dramatic uptick since the launch of Epic Fury.
“At approximately 9:00 AM, the Habbaniya Military Clinic and the local Works Department came under a direct airstrike, which was immediately followed by concentrated cannon fire from the attacking aircraft,” The Iraqi Defense Ministry stated. Saying that seven soldiers were killed and 13 others wounded “while performing their national and humanitarian duties.”
The Ministry described the strike as “a flagrant violation of international law and a heinous crime, specifically citing global conventions that prohibit the targeting of medical facilities and personnel.”
In addition to Iraqi soldiers, the base is also shared by PMF/Hashd al-Shaabi, one of the Iranian-backed militias striking U.S. and allied forces.
The War Zone cannot independently verify this claim.
7 Iraqi Army soldiers were killed and 13 wounded after a U.S. airstrike hit the clinic and engineering department at the Habbaniyah base in Anbar.
The base, which is shared by the Iraqi Army and PMF/Hashd al-Shaabi, was struck in two consecutive U.S. attacks on March 24–25.… pic.twitter.com/FF9sFWHdst
The reported attack came after Iraq gave permission to a quarter of a million paramilitary troops under the Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella to retaliate against strikes by the U.S.,according to the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
⚡️BREAKING
Iraq has green-lighted 250,000 Paramilitary Forces under the Popular Mobilization Forces to fully respond and retaliate against strikes by the United States pic.twitter.com/08sBHHBuBz
