Iran’s skepticism is one of the reasons US VP Vance has now become involved in the negotiations. Washington has sought to reassure Tehran that “this is not a ploy, but real negotiations.”
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump holds a meeting, with Vice President J.D. Vance alongside him, in the Situation Room at the White House on Saturday. There should be a swift pivot to negotiations, presenting Tehran with clear and firm terms, says the writer.(photo credit: The White House/Reuters)ByAMICHAI STEINIran has growing concerns that ongoing negotiations with the United States may be an American ploy rather than a genuine attempt to reach a meaningful agreement, sources told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
“Twice we sat down with Witkoff and Kushner for talks, twice we scheduled another meeting — and instead of a meeting, we got a war. You lied to us,” an Iranian message conveyed to Washington said, according to a source familiar with the details who spoke to the Post.
This skepticism is one of the reasons US Vice President JD Vance has now become involved in the negotiations. Washington has sought to reassure Tehran that “this is not a ploy, but real negotiations.”
“Iran is speaking reasonably. There are no guarantees, but I think maybe we will end the war,” the president said.
FILE PHOTO: People attend a gathering to support Iran’s Armed Forces, after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 24, 2025. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA/REUTERS)
What is the US’s 15-point proposal for Iran?
The US administration has presented Tehran with a 15-point proposal and is awaiting a response. The plan, which had in fact been presented to Iran previously, includes the full dismantling of its nuclear program and facilities, a complete halt to uranium enrichment, and limits on ballistic missile range so they would be “for defensive purposes only.”
It also calls for ending Iranian support for proxy groups across the Middle East and ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
In return, Iran would receive full sanctions relief, including the removal of the UN Security Council’s snapback mechanism, which allows sanctions to be reimposed if a member of the agreement claims a violation.
At the same time, Iran has put forward its own demands, including compensation for the war, guarantees against future attacks, the dismantling of US military bases in the Gulf, and a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israeli officials, along with some American officials who spoke with the Post, assess that given the current positions of both sides, the chances of reaching an agreement remain low.
However, Israeli officials added that “if the Iranians do agree to the 15-point agreement, in the end it would be a good deal for Israel — provided, of course, that Trump insists on all 15 points.”
Iran’s leadership is said to be taking a hardline approach under which there will be no retreat in the war, even at the cost of harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.
View of the Orot Rabin Power Plant at Sadot Yam beach, central Israel, May 20, 2023(photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)ByREUTERS,
JERUSALEM POST STAFF
MARCH 23, 2026 07:47 Updated: MARCH 23, 2026 09:39
Iran signaled an escalation in its war posture on Monday, warning it would retaliate for strikes on its electricity sector by targeting Israeli power plants and facilities supplying US bases, as reports indicated Tehran has shifted from a strategy of “regional defense” to increased aggression.
A statement issued by the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) appeared to retract earlier threats against desalination plants in the region, which are crucial for providing drinking water in Gulf countries.
“The lying … US President has claimed that the Revolutionary Guards intend to attack the water desalination plants and cause hardship to the people of the countries in the region,” the statement shared on state media said.Unmute
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump warned that Iranian power plants would be targeted if Tehran failed to “fully open” the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping within 48 hours.
“We are determined to respond to any threat at the same level as it creates in terms of deterrence … If you hit electricity, we hit electricity,” the IRGC said.
Symbolic mock-ups of Iranian missiles are displayed on a street, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 22, 2026. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)
Iran adopts new aggressive war approach
KAN News reported Sunday that the IRGC decided to escalate its approach in the war, shifting from a strategy of “regional defense” to increased aggression.
The report said Iran began implementing the decision over the weekend through a series of actions described as operational escalations and threats.
These included intensified Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure in Gulf states, missile barrages toward Dimona, and a long-range strike targeting the US base on Diego Garcia, roughly 4,000 kilometers away.
The report added that Iran has threatened to fully close the Strait of Hormuz, begun collecting transit fees in the area, and expanded its activity by bringing the Houthis into the campaign. Additional threats cited included possible attacks in Doha and at Al Jazeera’s headquarters.
An internal source familiar with developments in Iranian politics told KAN News that the leadership is taking a hardline approach under which there will be no retreat in the war, even at the cost of harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.
According to the source, the shift follows shifts in power centers, with more extreme elements taking a leading role, indicating that civilian cost is not a decisive consideration at this stage.
The report also said economic pressure in Iran is increasing as the war and tightening sanctions affect dollar flow channels, including routes that had bypassed restrictions through Gulf states.
KAN said the economic impact is increasing pressure on the public, but is not expected at this stage to change the regime’s conduct
Even if facilities and equipment are damaged, Grossi emphasized that reconstruction would be “very possible,” since Iran has the knowledge of how to build them.
A SATELLITE image shows a closer view of the Natanz Nuclear Facility with new building damage, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, near Natanz, Iran, March 2, 2026.(photo credit: VANTOR/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF While Iran’s nuclear capabilities can be severely damaged, this war on its own cannot completely destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions or capability, IAEA Director-General Grossi said in an interview with CBS News, the transcript of which was published Thursday.
Grossi said that the war has “really rolled back the [Iranian Nuclear] program considerably,” even though the focus on nuclear sites has been marginal when compared to the 12 Day War last June.
However, Grossi specified that war could not result in a long-term solution to the problem of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The most notable of these is Iran’s current inventory of enriched uranium at 60%, which is “very close” to the degree necessary for a nuclear bomb, which will still remain.
IDF graphic of a Iranian nuclear development compound in Tehran that was truck by Israel on March 12, 2026. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)
‘You cannot unlearn what you’ve learned’
Additionally, it will be impossible to ascertain just how many facilities, infrastructure, and equipment may have survived the attacks, either damaged or even unscathed, until IAEA inspectors are allowed back.
Even if facilities and equipment are damaged, Grossi emphasized that reconstruction would be “very possible,” since Iran has the knowledge of how to build them. With no research required, Grossi compared the process of rebuilding the facilities needed to that of building “a sophisticated washing machine.”
“It’s nothing, I mean, and you cannot unlearn what you’ve learned.”
Both Israel and the US have raised the possibility of special forces going in to retrieve the enriched uranium.
Grossi expressed doubts as to the feasibility of such an operation. “We’re talking about cylinders containing gas of highly contaminated uranium hexafluoride at 60%, so it’s very difficult to handle.”
Even during negotiations, Grossi said that the difficulty of handling and transferring the uranium was discussed.
Additionally, Grossi estimated that there would be decoy cylinders as well as other materials that would provide more difficulty.
“I’m not saying it’s impossible. I know that here there are incredible military capacities to do that, but it would be a very challenging operation for sure,” Grossi said.
When asked if the IAEA had been in contact with the White House about their own inspectors moving the nuclear material after combat ended, Grossi said that he had “been having important conversations here at the White House, and also with Iran.”
Grossi wouldn’t share any more information about his Iranian contacts, saying “it would be unfair” to the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, to say that Araghchi has said he’s interested in negotiations.
Centrifuges in a nuclear reactor. Separation of uranium. (credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)
Former security adviser says Iran operation would not be successful without securing nuclear material
Former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, John Bolton, also emphasized the importance of securing Iran’s nuclear material, telling NBC News that the US operation in Iran “would not be a success under any circumstances” without it.
Bolton also expressed fears that the nuclear material could be given to “terrorist groups, to other rogue states, or other malicious actors.”
While Bolton acknowledged that US forces retrieving the uranium would not be a small operation, he seemed to think it was not only feasible but an option Trump was considering.
“The president has said he doesn’t want to put boots on the ground, but I never understood that to mean he would not try and get that material,” Bolton told NBC.
