The Latest: Iran receives 15-point ceasefire proposal from US, Pakistan officials say

The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from the government of Pakistan, which has offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, a person briefed on the plan's contours but who was not authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people with knowledge of the move who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Any talks between the U.S. and Iran would face monumental challenges. Many of Washington's shifting objectives, particularly over Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs, remain difficult to achieve, and it is not clear who in Iran's government has the authority or would be willing to negotiate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's office said he has been discussing the war this week with several counterparts, but Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran's Parliament, denied Trump's claim of direct talks and an Iranian military spokesperson declared that the fighting would go on.

Alluding to progress in talks, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Iran shared an oil- and gas-related "present," a day after telling reporters that the Middle Eastern nation is eager for a deal to end the war.

Here is the latest:

Tehran resident says Trump’s threats spread ‘anger and confusion’ in Iran as bombs fall

A Tehran resident says President Trump’s threats to strike Iranian power plants earlier in the week have spread “anger and confusion” in Iran.

“There have been some days when the bombings are so intense you can’t do anything,” the 26-year-old university graduate student said, adding his friends mostly stayed home. He spoke on condition of anonymity out of security fears.

He said the U.S. leader’s comments have deepened fears that the strikes will move toward targeting civilian infrastructure and “innocent civilians.” He described seeing serious damage to residential sites in his area of western Tehran, including an apartment building and pharmacy.

“I wake up sometimes from the sounds of bombardment but I manage to sleep somehow or I immediately text my friends to see if they are ok. It’s stressful,” he said.

Iran’s government has almost entirely cut links with the global internet. The student said he and his friends were relying on the national government-controlled network to use domestic ride hailing and messaging apps, but connections to that system were also not reliable.

— Amir-Hussein Radjy

Lebanon mourners bury paramedic killed in Israeli airstrike

Mourners gathered Wednesday in the coastal city of Tyre in southern Lebanon to bury a paramedic killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Ahmed Ibrahim Deeb was a first responder with the civil defense team affiliated with the Amal Movement, a Shiite political party allied with Hezbollah.

Amal spokesperson Alwan Sharafeddine said he was killed by a strike in his hometown, Shohour, to the east of Tyre, while on a motorcycle heading to his civil defense post for work.

He was buried in a temporary grave because the fighting has made it too risky to hold funerals in some home towns.

“He was one of the young men from the town who refused to be displaced and insisted on remaining steadfast on their land,” Sharafeddine said.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Wednesday that Israeli strikes have killed 42 paramedics since the resurgence of war between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2.

Israeli fireman says cluster munitions pose unique challenges

Lt. Edgar Blum at the Ramat Gan fire department told the Associated Press that fire fighters have had to adapt their response because Iran is using cluster munitions.

Instead of a team arriving at the site of a missile strike and identifying the most damaged houses, now they must decide which areas across a much larger space have been hardest hit and send separate crews to each spot.

“The challenge is to understand if you have five places that have been hit, which of the scenes needs more attention. You asses by the biggest fire, the biggest threat and where the most amount of people are,” he said.

He also reminds his teams that cluster munitions don’t always explode, so firefighters have to keep their distance, especially at night when it’s hard to see.

Republicans and Democrats prioritize keeping gas prices low

Keeping the price at the pump down is a goal uniting Americans in both parties.

About two-thirds of Americans in a new AP-NORC poll say keeping U.S. oil and gas prices from rising should be an “extremely” or “very” important foreign policy goal for the U.S.

However, they are just as likely to say it’s important to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, a juxtaposition that could be difficult for the White House to manage.

About three-quarters of Republicans and about two-thirds of Democrats say it’s highly important to prevent U.S. oil and gas prices from going up.

Slightly fewer than half of U.S. adults, 45%, are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to afford gas in the next few months, up from 30% in an AP-NORC poll conducted shortly after Trump won re-election with promises that he would improve the economy and lower the cost of living.

AP-NORC poll: Most Americans say US military action in Iran has gone too far

A new AP-NORC poll finds most Americans believe recent U.S. military action against Iran has gone too far and many are worried about affording gasoline.

As the war continues in its fourth week, the survey indicates that while President Donald Trump’s approval rating is holding steady, the conflict could be turning into a major political liability for his Republican administration.

About 59% of Americans say U.S. military action has been excessive.

Meanwhile, 45% are “extremely” or “very” concerned about affording gas in the next few months, up from 30% shortly before Trump took office.

However, there is significant support for Trump’s objective of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Russia nuclear head says workers leaving Iran plant

The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom says more of its workers are being evacuated from Iran’s Russia-built nuclear power plant following another strike on its territory.

Alexei Likhachev said last week that Rosatom had 480 workers at the plant in Bushehr. He announced another group left Wednesday and more will be pulled out later this week.

He said Rosatom will reduce the number of workers to a minimum until the situation normalizes.

Likhachev late Tuesday reported another strike on the plant’s territory close to the working nuclear reactor following an attack last week.

He said there were no injuries, but noted the situation was developing according to a “negative scenario.”

US and Iran talks could be held in Pakistan, IAEA head says

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said there might be talks between Iran and the United States soon in Pakistan.

“I think there could be talks this weekend in Islamabad, Pakistan,” Rafael Mariano Grossi told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera without elaborating.

Iraq says it will file sovereignty complaint to UN

Khalid al-Yaqoubi, security advisor to Iraq’s prime minister, says his country will file a sovereignty complaint to the United Nations Security Council.

He told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Iraqi security forces have lost 80 members and 150 have been wounded since the Middle East war began Feb. 28.

Al-Yaqoubi said the U.S. has violated Iraq’s airspace, while Iran is to blame for attacks against Kurdish forces in the country’s north.

“We are against the aggression on Iran because it is not justified,” he said about the war that was launched by the U.S. and Israel.

He said the security forces include Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Force, a coalition of Iran-backed militia that is nominally under the control of the Iraqi military.

South Korea downplays gas worries linked to Qatar plant strikes

South Korean trade official Yang Ki-wook said Wednesday his country has likely secured enough gas through the end of the year from alternative sources.

Yang estimated Iran’s recent attacks on two Qatari liquefied natural gas plants damaged about 20% of the country’s capacity andi it may take three to five years to restore affected supply.

Yang says South Korea has not received direct communication from QatarEnergy following media reports it declared force majeure on long-term natural gas contracts with South Korea and other nations.

Israel issues flurry of missile alerts

Israel issued a flurry of alerts around midday Wednesday as Iran targeted large parts of the country with multiple ballistic missiles.

Police and rescue services said they were treating several sites impacted by debris from either missiles or interceptors.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Drone and rocket fire from Lebanon also continued unabated toward communities in northern israel.

Egypt foreign minister speaks with US and EU officials

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday told U.S. envoy Massad Boulos there needs to be “concerted regional and international efforts to de-escalate the situation.”

He warned of the war’s severe economic repercussions. Egypt imposed fuel price hikes in March and has announced measures including reducing official overseas trips and tightening fuel consumption across sectors.

Abdelatty also spoke with European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas and called for coordination between Egypt and the EU while seeking a diplomatic solution to the war.

Central bank head says European businesses may raise prices faster

European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde said Wednesday that businesses in Europe might be quicker to raise prices in response to the Iran war due to bitter memories of energy price inflation after Russia invaded Ukraine.

She said the inflation that peaked in 2023 in double digits “left a mark” and firms “may be faster than last time” to change price tags.

The last time was 2022, when inflation hit double digits in Europe after Russia cut off most natural gas supplies over the war, sending gas and electricity prices higher.

The Iran war has sharply increased oil prices, raising fuel, travel and manufacturing costs.

Lagarde said the big question is how long the higher oil prices last.

Analyst says ceasefire talks making progress

An Islamabad-based senior security analyst with knowledge of the ongoing ceasefire talks said Wednesday that discussions facilitated by Pakistan’s top political and military leadership were making quiet but swift progress.

“There has been significant and rapid progress in these indirect talks between the United States and Iran, which are being facilitated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and some senior Pakistani officials,” Syed Muhammad Ali said.

Ali said Iranian leaders remain deeply distrustful due to what he described as “decapitation strikes” on their political, military and intelligence leadership.

They would agree to direct talks in Pakistan only if firm U.S. guarantees are provided to halt attacks, Ali said.

China says it supports efforts to de-escalate tensions

China on Wednesday said it supports all attempts to de-escalate the tensions in the Middle East and start peace talks.

“A ceasefire and an end to hostilities are the top priority, and dialogue and negotiations are the way forward,”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing.

Lin said China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that all parties should “seize every opportunity and window for peace” so peace talks can start as soon as possible.

“We support all efforts conducive to de-escalating the situation and resuming dialogue”, he added when asked about Pakistan as an intermediary between the U.S. and Iran.

Hezbollah says it fired missiles at Israeli warplane

Hezbollah said Wednesday its air defense units fired surface-to-air missiles toward an Israeli warplane that was conducting strikes over southern Lebanon on Tuesday evening.

Hezbollah said the plane was forced to withdraw, adding it was the first time the group fired surface-to-air missiles against an Israeli warplane since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war broke out March 2.

Hezbollah last week said it shot down an Israeli drone over the southern village of Baraachit.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Iran also has claimed use of a new surface-to-air missile system during the war.

Airstrike on western Iraq military clinic kills 7 troops

Iraq’s Ministry of Defense says an airstrike on a military clinic in the Habbaniyeh area of Anbar province killed seven troops and wounded 13.

The ministry gave no further details about Wednesday’s strike, saying rescue teams remain at the site.

The ministry condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international law and affirming its right to respond.

Japan’s prime minister and IEA head discuss oil reserves

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi asked International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol to consider an additional coordinated release of some global oil reserves if Middle East tensions drag on.

Takaichi on Wednesday called for flexibility from Birol, who is in Japan as part of a regional trip to discuss the Iran war’s fallout.

The release of 400 million barrels of oil from the reserves of IEA member countries is only 20% of their stocks and a significant amount remains, Birol said.

“We are ready to move forward, but I very much hope that it will not be necessary,” he said, while recommending energy conservation steps including working from home.

Birol said dozens of energy installations have been damaged and will take time to come back online.

Egyptian official describes 15-point plan ‘like a comprehensive deal’

An Egyptian official involved in mediation efforts between Iran and the United States described the 15-points put forward by the Americans as “like a comprehensive deal” to reach a ceasefire in the war.

The official said the proposal includes restrictions on Iran’s missile program and its arming of armed groups, as well as allowing traffic to flow through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

However, the proposal “is being treated” as a base for further negotiations between the nations, added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the yet-publicized details of the proposal.

He said Iranian officials remain “very skeptical” of the Trump administration.

The official likened the 15-point plan to Gaza ceasefire’s 20-point plan, meaning it requires “immense efforts to hammer out the details if there is an agreement from both sides to sit down and negotiate.”

Mediators were pushing for a possible in-person negotiation between the Iranians and the Americans, perhaps as soon as Friday in Pakistan, according to the Egyptian official and the two Pakistani officials who shared that the proposal had been submitted to Iran.

However, that would require the Americans to immediately start traveling from the U.S. to reach there in time.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials likely remain worried about the Israelis, whose airstrikes in the war have killed officials up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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CORRECTION: This post corrects a quote by the Egyptian official who said “hammer out” the details, not “hamper” the details.

Iran receives 15-point US ceasefire proposal

Iran received a 15-point proposal from the U.S. to reach a ceasefire in the war, two Pakistani officials said 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 authorized to release the details.

Iran has insisted it isn’t engaged in negotiations with the U.S. and a military spokesman mocked America over its diplomatic efforts Wednesday.

Israel warns against gatherings for Jewish holidays

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israelis and Jews against celebrating Passover or other upcoming Jewish and Israeli holidays in public, open spaces without security.

The country’s National Security Council also warned against participating in Jewish events or frequenting Jewish sites in countries that border Iran, including Azerbijian, Turkey and the Gulf countries.

The warning is similar to others issued in recent years, especially since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

Missiles target Israel’s central and southern cities

Israelis were woken three times early Wednesday by sirens warning of incoming missiles.

The Iranian attacks triggered alerts in parts of central Israel, the southernmost city of Eilat and the southern city of Dimona, near a facility key to Israel’s long-suspected atomic weapons program.

There were no reported injuries or damage, with the missiles likely intercepted or falling in open areas.

In the north, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets toward Israeli communities in multiple overnight volleys with no known injuries, the Israeli military said.

On Tuesday, a woman was killed by shrapnel while driving on a northern Israel road. She is the war’s first Israeli death caused by fire from Lebanon.

Thai ship passes through Strait of Hormuz

Thailand Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said a Thai ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz following discussions with Iranian authorities.

He said Tuesday that Thailand requested passage through the strait for the ship from energy conglomerate Bangchak Corporation and a second ship from major petrochemical company SCG Chemicals.

Thailand was informed Monday that the Bangchak ship had successfully navigated the strait and is en route, he said, while the second vessel awaits safe passage.

Bangchak’s website says the ship is a crude oil tanker expected to arrive in Thailand in early April.

Oil falls and Asian shares gain

Oil prices fell more than 3% and Asian shares gained Wednesday following reports of a 15-point ceasefire plan offered to Iran by the Trump administration.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 3.6% to $96.58 per barrel. It was above $104 on Tuesday. Benchmark U.S. crude was down 3.4% to $89.26 a barrel.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was up 2.9% to 53,761.51. South Korea’s Kospi gained 1.7% to 5,647.77.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia discuss Iran war

Saudi Arabia’s powerful Prince Mohammed, the day-to-day ruler of the kingdom, has spoken by phone to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about the Iran war and Islamabad’s efforts at supporting ceasefire talks.

Sharif said Islamabad “would always stand by the kingdom and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, just as they had always supported Pakistan, through thick and thin.”

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said they discussed “the repercussions of the ongoing military escalation on the security and stability of the region and the world.”

Nuclear-armed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a mutual defense agreement.

Iranian military spokesperson mocks US attempts at ceasefire deal

An Iranian military spokesperson mocked U.S. attempts at a ceasefire deal 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 prerecorded 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,” he said. “Not now, not ever.”

“Stability in the region is guaranteed by the strong hand of our armed forces. Stability through strength,” Zolfaghari said.

“We state this clearly: Until it is our will, nothing will go back to the way it was. That will only come about when the very thought of acting against the Iranian nation is completely wiped from your corrupt minds.”