Hegseth says US will keep striking Iran while pursuing deal

US envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington has presented Tehran with a 15-point framework intended to form the basis of a potential peace agreement.

“I can report to you today that we have, along with your foreign policy team, presented a 15-point action list that forms the framework for a peace deal,” Witkoff said during a televised Cabinet meeting.

He said the proposal had been circulated through the Pakistani government, which is acting as a mediator, and had prompted what he described as “strong and positive messaging and talks.”

Witkoff added that the discussions remain sensitive and that the administration intends to keep the details confidential rather than negotiate publicly.

“We have delivered that message, sir, along with the 15 points for peace,” he said. “Finally, we have told Iran one last thing: don’t miscalculate again.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran’s leadership remains dangerous even as the country faces what he described as its weakest moment.

“The people that run this country are radical Shia clerics. These are religious fanatics,” Rubio said, warning that Tehran’s current actions demonstrate the risks posed by the Islamic Republic.

“Look what they are doing now at their weakest point. This is the weakest Iran has ever been,” he said. “They’re attacking embassies. They’re attacking hotels.”

Rubio said the situation highlights why the United States considers Iran obtaining nuclear weapons “an unacceptable risk for the world.”

President Donald Trump said Tehran is admitting it has been “decisively defeated” and is now “begging to make a deal,” as the United States continues its military campaign against Iran.

Speaking about the war in a televised Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump said Iran now has a chance to “chart a new future,” but accused the country’s leadership of seeking regional dominance.

“They’re sick and want to take over the Middle East,” he said.

The president added that US operations are progressing faster than expected and signaled that Washington will continue its current strategy. “We’re ahead of schedule,” Trump said, adding that the United States will keep doing “what it’s been doing.”

Iran said diplomacy has not stopped but there is still no realistic plan for negotiations with the United States, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday.

“Diplomacy has not stopped, and if realism prevails in Washington, a path forward may still be found,” the official said.

The official said Turkey and Pakistan are trying to help establish common ground between the two sides, but “there is still no arrangement for negotiations” and no plan for talks appears viable at this stage.

He added that Iran had reviewed a US proposal conveyed via Pakistan and found it “one-sided and unfair,” saying it “lacks the minimum requirements for success” and serves only US and Israeli interests.

Separately, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that Iran had formally sent its response to a 15-point US proposal via intermediaries and was awaiting a reply.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates want the Iran war to end but are wary of a quick deal that could leave the region less stable, officials and analysts told the Washington Post.

Officials said Persian Gulf states favour maintaining pressure on Tehran and would support an intensified campaign if Iran does not agree to limits on its missile, drone and nuclear programmes.

“They want a humble Iran,” a senior European official said, while another official said the aim was to shape conditions for a more stable post-war balance.

The report said Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain broadly support the Saudi and Emirati position, while Oman remains opposed to the war and continues to advocate for Iran.