Israel strikes Tehran on Wednesday, targeting infrastructure across the Iranian capital, Israeli military officials confirmed, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensified with reports of a US-proposed 15-point plan sent to Iran.
The Israeli Defence Forces announced the strikes in a Telegram post. Iran’s semi-official SNN News Agency reported that the strikes hit a residential area in Tehran, with rescuers searching through rubble for casualties.
The attack marks a significant escalation in the weeks-long conflict that began February 28, when the US and Israel launched strikes after failing to make sufficient progress in talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched a new wave of attacks against locations in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Kiryat Shmona, as well as US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain, Iranian state media reported.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia said Wednesday they had repelled fresh drone attacks. Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority reported that drones targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a fire but no casualties.
US Pursues 15-Point Peace Plan
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US was in “negotiations” to end the war, which has already killed thousands and triggered the worst energy supply shock in history.
The New York Times reported that Washington sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the conflict. Israel’s Channel 12, citing three sources, said the US was seeking a month-long ceasefire to discuss the proposal.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed the US had sent a plan to Iran but provided no further details.
According to Israeli media, the plan would include dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, ceasing support for proxy groups such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas shipments.
Stocks rose, and oil prices fell on Wednesday on hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough. However, Iran’s powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf dismissed the reports as “fake news” on Monday.
Pakistan Offers to Host US-Iran Talks
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Tuesday he was willing to host talks between the US and Iran to end the war. Pakistan shares a border with Iran and has been building a relationship with the Trump administration.
The offer came a day after Trump postponed threats to bomb Iranian power plants following what he called “productive” talks.
Despite diplomatic efforts, the Pentagon is expected to send thousands of additional soldiers from the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, bringing the total to 50,000 US troops already there, fueling fears of a prolonged conflict.
Read: Iran Missile Strikes Hit Israel’s Arad and Dimona, 115 Injured
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created the worst energy supply shock in history, sending fuel prices soaring and disrupting global aviation.
Iran has informed the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organisation that “non-hostile vessels” may transit the strait if they coordinate with Iranian authorities, according to a note seen by Reuters.
As war enters its fifth week, the contrast between battlefield escalation and diplomatic manoeuvring underscores the volatile path ahead.
