Report: Trump massing an Iran ground invasion as Tehran rejects peace
Donald Trump is massing a 7,000-strong ground invasion force on Iran's doorstep after the Islamic regime snubbed a 15-point peace plan with a series of 'ridiculous' demands. Pentagon chiefs ordered 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East on Wednesday to join 4,500 Marines already en route to the region. The President is prepared to pull the trigger on a full-scale invasion if Tehran continues to rebuff his diplomatic overtures, according to members of his inner circle. 'Trump has a hand open for a deal and the other is a fist, waiting to punch you in the f***ing face,' a Trump aide told Axios.
Iran rejects US peace plan as tensions escalate
The 15-point plan, modeled on Trump's Gaza deal, would require Iran to dismantle all nuclear and long-range missile capabilities, open the Strait of Hormuz, and abandon proxy terror groups. But Iranian state TV on Wednesday said that the regime had rejected the ceasefire proposal. Instead Tehran is demanding the closure of all US bases in the Gulf, reparations, and an end to Israeli military strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Tehran is also seeking to bring the Strait - a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of the world's oil - under its control, allowing it to charge transit fees on passing vessels, much like Egypt does with the Suez Canal. Brent crude prices see-sawed from $101 down to $94 on Tuesday evening before settling at $96 on Wednesday as markets reacted to the invasion threat and Iran's rejection of the peace plan.
Trump officials slam Tehran’s terms as ‘unrealistic’
A Trump official described Iran's demands as 'ridiculous' and 'unrealistic,' warning that reaching a deal is now more difficult than before the war began as the President prepares a potential ground invasion force. US and Iranian diplomats have not spoken through direct contact and instead communicate via Middle Eastern intermediaries from Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan. The President called for a one-month ceasefire on Tuesday during which the two sides could thrash out the negotiations on the 15-point peace plan. The plan now stands in complete contrast to the demands being issued from Tehran.
Ceding control of the Strait of Hormuz remains a non-starter for Saudi Arabia as Riyadh urges Trump to stay in the fight. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly urged Trump to finish the Islamic regime in calls over the last week, including the use of ground forces to seize Iran's energy sites. Iran remains wary of Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, accusing them of 'backstabbing' Tehran in negotiations before the US and Israel launched strikes on February 28. Iranian officials are pushing for Vice President JD Vance to lead the US negotiating team, believing he is sympathetic after privately expressing doubts about Operation Epic Fury.
Strait of Hormuz chokehold fuels global price surge
Trump is facing intense pressure to end the conflict after the Iranian stranglehold on the narrow Strait of Hormuz sent global oil prices skyrocketing. Trump announced a five-day halt to US strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure on Monday while urging Tehran to return to the negotiating table. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammed-Baqer Qalibaf has emerged as the country's de-facto leader and the preferred interlocutor for Trump officials. Qalibaf has denied talks with Washington.
