Dubai/Tel Aviv/Islamabad: Iran is still reviewing a US proposal to end the war in the Gulf, despite an initial response that was negative, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, indicating that Tehran had so far stopped short of rejecting it outright.Publicly, Iranian officials poured withering scorn on the prospect of any negotiations with the administration of US President Donald Trump. But an apparent delay in delivering a formal response to Pakistan, which delivered a 15-point proposal on behalf of Washington, appeared to signal that at least some figures in Tehran may be considering it.The senior Iranian official’s comments that the proposal was still under review — though the initial response was “not positive” — appeared to contradict a report by Iran’s Press TV that cited an unidentified official as saying Iran had rejected it.A senior Pakistani security official said that Pakistan had followed up with Iran’s foreign minister and was still awaiting a formal reply.A second Pakistani source said: “The Iranians told us they will get back to us tonight. The media is reporting they’ve said no. But we have not received any official confirmation from Iran. So we are just waiting. They are all underground and communication is big challenge.”Another senior Iranian official had earlier confirmed that Tehran had received a proposal and said that talks, if they went ahead, could be held in either Pakistan or Turkey. AgenciesTrump administration offers 15-point ceasefire plan to IranMarch 25, 2026 9:54 pmThe Trump administration has offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, according to a person briefed on the contours of the plan but who was not authorised to speak publicly about it. The ceasefire plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan, who have offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The New York Times reported earlier on Tuesday that the 15-point plan had been delivered to Iranian officials.Sharif briefs Saudi Crown Prince as Pakistan pushes to mediate US-Iran talksMarch 25, 2026 4:08 pmPakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday briefed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman about Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the tenuous West Asia situation. Sharif, in a statement on X, reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the recent attacks on the Kingdom and reaffirmed Islamabad’s unwavering solidarity and unequivocal support for Saudi Arabia in these challenging times. “I also briefed His Royal Highness on Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach efforts for regional peace and stability. We agreed to remain in close coordination,” he said. Sharif said that during the call, he appreciated the Kingdom’s restraint and, “I stressed the urgent need for de-escalation”, and an end to hostilities.More US troops on the way even as diplomacy continuesMarch 25, 2026 2:59 pmDubai: 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. The Pentagon is also in the process of deploying two Marine units that will add about 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region. The moves are being framed as US President Donald Trump manoeuvring to give himself “max flexibility” on what he will do next, the person added. Trump has said that American officials are in negotiations with Iran, though he hasn’t said who they are in contact with. Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which commands both the regular military and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, suggested there are no talks. APIran has received 15-point US ceasefire proposal, 2 Pakistani officials sayMarch 25, 2026 2:17 pmIslamabad: Iran has received a 15-point proposal from the US to reach a ceasefire in the war, two Pakistani officials said on Wednesday. The Pakistani officials described the proposal broadly as touching on 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, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorised to release the details. Iran has insisted it isn’t engaged in negotiations with the US and a military spokesman mocked America over its diplomatic efforts on Wednesday. APIranian military mocks Trump’s claim of US-Iran negotiationsMarch 25, 2026 10:06 amDubai: An Iranian military spokesperson mocked US attempts at a ceasefire deal on Wednesday, insisting that the Americans were only negotiating with themselves. Lt Col Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesperson for the Iranian military’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, made the statement in a pre-recorded video aired on state television. “The strategic power you used to talk about has turned into a strategic failure,” he said. “The one claiming to be a global superpower would have already gotten out of this mess if it could. Don’t dress up your defeat as an agreement. Your era of empty promises has come to an end.” He added: “Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?” Zolfaghari’s statement came shortly after the Trump administration sent a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran through Pakistan. “Our first and last word has been the same from day one, and it will stay that way: Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you,” Zolfaghari said. “Not now, not ever.” APA missile fired from Iran exploded over Lebanon, official saysMarch 25, 2026 10:02 amDubai: A senior Lebanese military official said the cluster munition-equipped ballistic missile exploded earlier on Tuesday over the Keserwan region north of Beirut, causing some material damage. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, added that the missile was heading west when it exploded but it was not clear where it was headed. It marked the first time an Iranian missile was intercepted over Lebanese airspace during the current conflict. APIn a cryptic comment, Trump says Iran has shared a present as show of faithMarch 25, 2026 10:01 amDubai: Asked if he trusts the Iranians said to be in talks with US representatives, Trump said he doesn’t trust anybody but alluded to receiving a “gift” that he said suggested “we’re dealing with the right people”. “They gave us a present, and the present arrived today,” Trump said speaking at the White House on Tuesday. “It was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money. And I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize.” Pressed for more detail, Trump said it was “oil- and gas-related” but went no further. “It was a very nice thing they did. But what it showed me is that we’re dealing with the right people.” APIran is firing an average of 10 missiles a day at Israel, military saysMarch 25, 2026 10:01 amDubai: Israeli Brig Gen Effie Defrin, the military’s spokesman, said in a televised statement that Iran fired dozens of missiles on Israel in the war’s first and second days of the war but this number “dropped quickly”. He attributed that to Israel’s continued strikes on military headquarters, launch sites and missile production sites across Iran. APLatest Iranian missile attack on Israel hits apartments and injures 7March 25, 2026 10:01 amDubai: Images released by rescue authorities showed extensive damage to one floor of a residential building in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, where rescue services said a man was moderately wounded and six people lightly injured, including a seven-year-old boy and 80-year-old woman. Impact sites with varying degrees of damage were reported in at least seven other locations in central Israel. APIran says a projectile struck area of Bushehr nuclear power plantMarch 25, 2026 10:00 amDubai: No casualties or technical damage was reported at the facility from the incident on Tuesday night, which Iran’s atomic agency blamed on Israel and the United States. The International Atomic Energy Agency posted on X that it “has been informed by Iran that another projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr”. APIsrael isn’t part of any reported Iran talks and will continue military operations with US, ambassador saysMarch 25, 2026 10:00 amDubai: Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon says as far as he knows Israel isn’t part of any reported talks between the United States and Iran later this week in Pakistan. “As we speak, Israel and the US, we continue to target military targets in Iran, and we will continue to do that,” he told UN reporters on Tuesday. He said the attacks have “accomplished a lot” but not everything. APIran’s parliamentary speaker Qalibaf is floated as a possible US contact in talks as war ragesMarch 25, 2026 10:00 amDubai: Long before he became Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went on a charm offensive for almost two decades, portraying himself as a hard-liner the West could do business with in the Islamic Republic. The 64-year-old pilot and former Revolutionary Guard commander has denied that there have been discussions with the United States amid reports that he was floated as Washington’s negotiating partner in talks. Questions also remain as to what power Qalibaf has within Iran’s theocracy, shattered after the February 28 Israeli airstrike that killed 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. APPope Leo XIV repeats his appeal for a ceasefire in Middle EastMarch 25, 2026 9:59 amDubai: Speaking to reporters on Tuesday evening outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, the pontiff invited leaders to “work for peace” not with weapons but rather “with dialogue, truly seeking a solution for all”. “Hatred is increasing, violence is worsening,” Pope Leo warned, saying more than a million people have been displaced and many others killed. APUN chief condemns Israeli settlement expansion and steps promoting West Bank annexationMarch 25, 2026 9:59 amDubai: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the rapid pace of settlement expansion and proliferation of outposts is fuelling tensions, impeding Palestinians’ access to their land and threatening the viability of an independent and contiguous Palestinian state. It is also taking place in conjunction with a rise in settler attacks, he said. UN deputy Middle East envoy Ramiz Alakbarov, delivered the findings from Guterres’ report to the UN Security Council, saying Israeli planning authorities advanced or approved over 6,000 housing units in the West Bank between December and March 13. APFrance’s Emmanuel Macron urges Iran to engage in good faith negotiationsMarch 25, 2026 9:59 amDubai: In a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the French president also called on Iran to end the “unacceptable attacks” against countries in the region, preserve energy and civilian infrastructure and restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. APUS to send around 1,000 troops from 82nd Airborne Division to MideastMarch 25, 2026 9:57 amDubai: The troops are to be sent in the coming days, a person with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press. The unit is considered the Army’s emergency response force and can typically be deployed on short notice. The force would include a battalion of the 1st Brigade Combat Team as well as Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier, the division’s commander, and division staff, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans. APIran fires dozen missile salvos at Israel as Trump insists talks are progressingMarch 25, 2026 9:56 amDubai: President Donald Trump says the United States is in talks with Tehran to end the war, even as both sides kept up intense barrages and Iran denied negotiations were under way. The Islamic Republic fired a dozen missile salvos at Israel on Tuesday and rocket attacks by Lebanese militants killed a woman – the first death in Israel by fire from Lebanon during the war. Israel said it carried out an extensive series of strikes on Iranian “production sites” without providing details. AP