Iran-US war latest: Oil prices fall after Trump offers ‘15-point’ peace plan and says Tehran will never get nukes – UK Times

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has been urging US president Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran, The New York Times reported.

The crown prince has spoken to Mr Trump several times over the past week, pushing the president to keep fighting until the regime in Iran is toppled, the report stated.

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Gulf states were “inching toward” a more active role, after Riyadh allowed US forces to use an air base within its borders.

However, Saudi officials rejected the idea that Prince Mohammed has pushed to prolong the war.

“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always supported a peaceful resolution to this conflict, even before it began,” the Saudi government told The Times, noting that officials “remain in close contact with the Trump administration and our commitment remains unchanged.”

“Our primary concern today is to defend ourselves from the daily attacks on our people and our civilian infrastructure,” the government added. “Iran has chosen dangerous brinkmanship over serious diplomatic solutions. This harms every stakeholder involved but none more than Iran itself.”

US president Donald Trump claims that Iran has agreed to his biggest demand to stop the war on Tehran.

“They’ve agreed,” he said. “They will never have a nuclear weapon. They’ve agreed to that,” he said.

Tehran has not release any information regarding the alleged concession after previously denying even talking to the US.

“We’re actually talking to the right people and they want to make a deal so badly, you have no idea how badly they want to make a deal,” Mr Trump said.

The New York Times reported that Washington sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war in the Middle East. Israel’s Channel 12, quoting three sources, said the US was seeking a month-long ceasefire to discuss the 15-point plan.

The Israeli media outlet said the plan would include the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear programme, ceasing support for proxy groups, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February after claiming they had failed to make enough headway in talks aimed at ending Iran’s nuclear programme, although mediator Oman said significant progress had been made.

Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad is ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to end the Iran war.

The US has agreed in principle to join talks in Pakistan, according to three Pakistani officials, one Egyptian official and a Gulf diplomat, while mediators were still working to convince Iran, the Associated Press reported.

One diplomat from the region said the talks could happen by early next week, and that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to represent the US.

A former executive director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency has said he’s concerned American service members will be sent to the Middle East to “die for no reason.”

The Pentagon has ordered about 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to help in the Iran war, The New York Times reported.

This is on top of the roughly 2,500 Marines from the 31st Expeditionary Unit that are reportedly set to arrive in the Middle East this week.

“I’m very worried that Trump is gearing up to send hundreds, if not thousands, of U.S. troops to die for no reason”, Major Harrison Mann told CNN. “Every option we’ve heard the Trump administration discuss for employing these troops sounds foolhardy and dangerous”.

Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a state of national energy emergency in ‌response to the Middle East conflict and what he called an “imminent danger” posed to the country’s energy supply.

The first shipment of Russian crude oil in five years arrived in the Philippines yesterday as Manila appears to seek an alternative supply source.

Mr Marcos yesterday said a committee has been formed to ensure the orderly movement, supply, distribution and availability of fuel, food, medicines, agricultural products and other ​essential goods.

He said the conflict had created uncertainty ​in global energy markets, severe supply-chain disruption and significant volatility and upward pressure on ⁠international oil prices, “thereby posing a threat to the country’s energy security”.

“The declaration of a state of national ​energy emergency will enable the government…to implement responsive and coordinated measures under existing laws to address the risks ​posed by disruptions in the global energy supply and the domestic economy,” he said.

Stocks rose and oil fell this morning on reports of a US diplomatic push to end the war with Iran.

Brent crude fell about ‌7 per cent to $97 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was near $87.S&P 500 futures rose 0.9 per cent in the Asia morning as European futures lifted 1.2 per cent.

John Bolton, US President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser turned foe, has warned Iran will continue its pursuit of nuclear weapons without regime change.

“If you leave this wounded animal in Tehran able to recover, it will return to the nuclear weapons program, return to its terrorism, and now its third big threat, closing the Strait of Hormuz”, Bolton told CNN.

Trump has claimed regime change in Iran, given that its leaders have been killed in the war.

But Bolton said, “This is a regime based on a radical Islamicist ideology, and it’s deeply inculcated in the ranks of the ayatollahs, in the civil government, in the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“Trump doesn’t have a philosophy, so I don’t even think he understands what motivates these people. The faces may change, but the ideology remains the same. The regime will change when the ayatollahs and Revolutionary Guard are gone, and we’re not at that point yet”.

A fire erupted at Kuwait International Airport after drones hit a fuel tank, the Gulf state’s civil aviation authority said this morning.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the attack had caused only “limited” damage and no casualties.

Firefighters were working to bring the blaze under control, spokesperson Abdullah Al-Rajhi told AFP.

The Kuwait National Guard said in a statement that its forces intercepted six drones early this morning, and the army said air defences were “responding to hostile missile and drone attacks”.

US Senate Democrats’ effort to rein in President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran has failed for the third time.

A War Powers resolution, which would have required congressional approval for further attacks on Iran, failed to advance in a 47-53 vote Tuesday evening local time.

Iran would rather negotiate with US Vice President JD Vance over Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to a new CNN report.

Representatives from Iran reportedly told the Trump administration their preference, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN, “President Trump and only President Trump determines who negotiates on behalf of the United States”.

“As the President stated today, Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Mr. Kushner will all be involved”, she added.