The White House issued a stark warning on Wednesday, stating that United States President, Donald Trump, is prepared to “unleash hell” if Iran refuses to agree to a deal aimed at ending the nearly four-week conflict in the Middle East.
However, Iran responded with firm resistance, declaring it has no plans to enter negotiations.
The increasingly aggressive rhetoric has dimmed expectations for a near-term de-escalation, as hostilities continue across multiple countries, including Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Later on Wednesday, Trump claimed that Iran was actively participating in peace discussions but suggested its officials were concealing this involvement out of fear for their safety.
“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly,” Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress.
“But they’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” he said. “They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected those claims, clarifying that while messages had been exchanged through intermediary nations, this did not constitute direct negotiations with Washington.
“We do not intend to negotiate,” Araghchi told state TV. “We seek an end to the war on our own terms.”
Officials in Pakistan disclosed that Islamabad had delivered a 15-point proposal from the United States to Tehran, intended to halt the conflict that erupted on February 28.
According to Iran’s state-run Press TV, an unnamed official confirmed that Tehran had dismissed the proposal, insisting that any resolution must align with its own conditions, including assurances against future aggression.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the diplomatic efforts as “productive” but avoided specifying which Iranian representatives were involved, particularly in the wake of the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to make a public appearance.
“If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment… Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” Leavitt said. “President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell.”
Amid reports of additional U.S. troop deployments to the region, Iran signaled it could escalate further by targeting shipping routes in the Red Sea if faced with an American ground offensive.
Iran’s military claimed that missile strikes aimed at the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group forced it to reposition, warning that more “powerful strikes” could follow once the fleet is within range.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, reported significant damage to Iran’s military infrastructure, stating that two-thirds of its missile and drone production facilities had been destroyed, with launch activity reduced by 90 percent.
In a video posted on X, Cooper added that approximately 92 percent of Iran’s largest naval vessels had been damaged or destroyed.
“They’ve now lost the ability to meaningfully project naval power and influence around the region and around the world,” he said.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned that the conflict had spiraled beyond control, warning it had “gone too far.”
The New York Times reported that the U.S. proposal addressed Iran’s disputed nuclear and missile programs, along with maritime navigation issues.
In retaliation for joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, Tehran has largely obstructed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route, driving up energy prices worldwide.
The Iranian official cited by Press TV indicated that Tehran had outlined five conditions for ending the war, including binding guarantees that neither the United States nor Israel would resume hostilities, as well as compensation for damages incurred.
Other demands include a halt to fighting across all regional fronts and against allied “resistance groups,” including Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese organization currently engaged in conflict with Israel.
Tehran is also seeking formal international recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
An unidentified Iranian military official warned that, in the event of a U.S. ground invasion, Tehran could block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime corridor linking the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Iran continues to support Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have significantly disrupted Red Sea shipping since October 2023 by targeting vessels in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“Closed only to enemies”
As Israel conducted fresh strikes inside Iran on Wednesday, it simultaneously intensified operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, including air raids on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces were extending a “buffer zone” in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the idea of negotiations under continued attacks, describing such a move as “surrender.”
Lebanon became directly involved in the conflict after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks into Israel on March 2, citing retaliation for the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei.
Lebanese authorities report that more than 1,000 people have died and over one million have been displaced within three weeks of Israeli bombardment.
As the conflict pushes global energy markets into volatility, attention remains fixed on the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply typically flows.
Araghchi reiterated Iran’s stance on the waterway, stating it was “closed only to enemies,” adding that “There is no reason to allow the ships of our enemies and their allies to pass.”
Although initial signs of possible negotiations had briefly lifted stock markets and lowered oil prices, renewed tensions on Wednesday drove Brent crude back above $100 per barrel.
