Iran sends 30-day peace plan to U.S. as Trump voices doubt

Iran submitted a 14-point peace proposal to the United States through a Pakistani intermediary, demanding an end to the war within 30 days, while President Trump expressed skepticism about reaching a settlement, according to The Korea Times.

The proposal arrives as a fragile three-week ceasefire holds in the conflict that erupted Feb. 28, and as a deepening dispute over the Strait of Hormuz — through which about 20 percent of world oil and natural gas trade passes — threatens to derail diplomacy with direct consequences for energy markets affecting Southern California consumers.

Iran's 14-point plan — transmitted through Pakistan, which has previously hosted negotiations between the two nations — demands that the United States lift all sanctions on Iran, end the naval blockade of Iranian ports in effect since April 13 and withdraw American forces from the region, The Korea Times reported. The proposal also calls for Israel to halt its military operations in Lebanon.

Washington has put forward its own nine-point framework. Trump, who rejected a separate Iranian offer earlier this week, said he was reviewing the new 14-point document but signaled doubt that a deal could be reached.

Iran's Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad staked out an unyielding position on the Strait of Hormuz. "The Strait of Hormuz belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran," Nikzad said, according to The Korea Times. He added that Iran "will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions." Iran has also insisted that vessels from countries other than the United States and Israel pay tolls to transit the waterway.

The economic toll inside Iran is mounting. The rial has fallen sharply — from roughly 1.3 million rials per U.S. dollar in December 2025 to about 1.84 million rials as of Sunday, The Korea Times reported. Several Iranian factories declined to renew worker contracts following the holiday period.

In a separate development, Narges Mohammadi — a 53-year-old human rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace laureate — fainted twice in prison Friday. Mohammadi was arrested in December for what the Norwegian Nobel Committee called peaceful human rights work and faces seven additional years of imprisonment. "Narges Mohammadi is imprisoned solely for her peaceful human rights work. Her life is now in the hands of the Iranian authorities," said Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

The conflict, which began Feb. 28 when U.S. and Israeli forces launched military operations against Iran, is now in its 10th week. Iran's push for a comprehensive 30-day settlement collides with a narrower U.S. nine-point framework, leaving the prospect of any lasting peace agreement deeply uncertain.