The United States is poised to deploy airborne troops to the Middle East as strikes intensify, signalling a potential shift towards boots on the ground despite President Donald Trump’s claims of “very good” talks with Iran. Reports indicate that Trump has delivered a 15-point negotiation plan to Tehran via Pakistan, though Iran denies any negotiations are taking place.
Early on Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched a new wave of attacks against locations in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona, as well as US bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain. Drones hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire, according to the Gulf state’s civil aviation authority. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes killed at least nine people, state media reported.
An Iranian military spokesperson mocked the 15-point framework plan, stating that the Americans were “negotiating with themselves”. Lt Col Ebrahim Zolfaghari said on state media: “Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves? Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you.” However, the New York Times reported that the US had delivered the plan via Pakistan, according to officials briefed on the diplomacy.
The reported plan would require Iran to dismantle key nuclear facilities, halt enrichment, and commit to never pursuing nuclear weapons, while granting full access to international inspectors. It also includes limits on missile range, an end to funding proxies, and guarantees to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. In return, sanctions would be lifted and Iran supported in developing a civilian nuclear programme. Trump’s advisers are also proposing a month-long ceasefire.
The US appears ready to send a combat team of up to 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division, which can deploy within 24 hours. They would join thousands of marines already heading to the Gulf, where Trump could order them to secure the Strait of Hormuz or blockade Iran’s oil hub on Kharg Island. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the war would continue “unabated” even as Trump explores diplomacy.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump claimed Iran had offered a “very specific prize” related to oil and gas flow through the Strait of Hormuz, and had “agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon”. He said: “It all starts with they cannot have a nuclear weapon … they’ve agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon.”
