ISLAMABAD: In a high-stakes diplomatic breakthrough that could reshape the Middle East, the Trump administration has dispatched a detailed 15-point peace agenda to Iran through Pakistani intermediaries.
Plan offering a pathway to end a devastating four-week war that has already killed more than 2000 people and displaced millions while threatening global energy security.
The proposal, delivered amid escalating economic fallout, arrives as the United States prepares to bolster its 50000 troops in the region with additional deployments including elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, according to multiple officials briefed on the matter.
Pakistan has emerged as the indispensable bridge in this effort, with Army Chief General Asim Munir serving as the primary interlocutor between Washington and Tehran, leveraging Islamabad’s longstanding ties to both capitals.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly affirmed Pakistan’s readiness to host conclusive talks in Islamabad, a move Trump himself highlighted by sharing the premier’s statement on social media, while Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari joined high-level discussions on regional tensions and Pakistan’s national security imperatives.
The 15-point framework, whose full text remains classified but whose broad contours have been confirmed by international and Pakistani sources, places nuclear non-proliferation at its core, demanding Iran commit permanently to never acquiring a nuclear weapon, dismantle key facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan, and cease all uranium enrichment on its soil.
Further points require Tehran to surrender or place under international supervision its remaining 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, accept robust IAEA monitoring, and halt all financial and material support to proxy militias including Hezbollah and Hamas across the region.
A mandatory one-month ceasefire would kick in immediately to facilitate negotiations, during which Iran must also agree to a verifiable reduction in its ballistic missile arsenal and production capabilities.
Point nine explicitly mandates that the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint carrying 21 million barrels of oil daily or roughly one-fifth of global supply, must remain open and operate as a free maritime corridor accessible to non-hostile vessels.
Point ten calls for Iran’s missile programme to be capped in both range and quantity, with precise thresholds to be finalised in follow-up talks, while point eleven restricts any future missile use strictly to self-defence scenarios.
In exchange for full compliance, the agenda extends transformative incentives to Tehran, beginning with point twelve’s promise of a complete lifting of all international sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy for years.
Point thirteen envisions active United States assistance in advancing Iran’s civilian nuclear programme, including expanded electricity generation at the Bushehr nuclear plant under strict safeguards.
Point fourteen proposes the permanent removal of the controversial snapback mechanism that previously allowed automatic reimposition of sanctions upon non-compliance.
The fifteenth point, according to sources familiar with the document, offers broader security guarantees against future military strikes and potential regional security architecture discussions, potentially including adjustments to United States basing in the Gulf.
This package arrives as oil prices dipped below 100 dollars a barrel on initial optimism, underscoring the war’s massive toll on global markets and supply chains that have already seen Brent crude spike dramatically since fighting erupted on February 28.
Iran has signalled limited cooperation by recently permitting safe passage for non-hostile shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a gesture Pakistani officials describe as a positive first response to the overture.
Yet Tehran’s military spokesmen continue to reject direct negotiations, insisting any deal must include ironclad guarantees against future aggression and compensation for damages estimated in the billions.
For Pakistan, successful mediation would elevate its global stature while shielding its economy from spillover effects of a prolonged conflict on its western border.
Analysts note that the proposal essentially revives elements of earlier 2025 negotiating frameworks but adds fresh urgency driven by the human and financial costs now mounting daily.
Whether Iran’s leadership will embrace the 15 points remains uncertain, yet the channel opened through Islamabad has already sparked cautious hope in diplomatic circles from Washington to Riyadh.
As stocks rallied on news of the plan’s transmission, the coming days could determine if this Pakistani-facilitated initiative halts the bloodshed or merely delays further escalation in one of the region’s most volatile confrontations.