Middle East conflict
Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence reportedly contacted the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), signalling a possible willingness to end the conflict in the Middle East, which began with the joint United States-Israel strikes in Tehran on February 28.According to The New York Times on Wednesday, the offer to discuss possible terms to end the conflict was relayed through an unnamed country’s spy agency a day after the attacks began.
US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that it was “too late” for Tehran to pursue talks. Iranian officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly ruled out negotiations with Washington since the outbreak of the conflict.However, American officials do not currently view the proposal as “serious,” with many in Washington “sceptical” that either Iran or the Trump administration is genuinely prepared for negotiations in the short term. Israeli leaders, according to the report, have urged the United States to dismiss the reported outreach, reflecting their preference to continue military pressure rather than pursue an early diplomatic off‑ramp. Under a potential deal to halt the bombings, the Trump administration would seek a “pledge” from Iran to abandon or significantly scale back its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, as well as its support for foreign proxy groups such as Lebanon-based Hezbollah.Following the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, in the ongoing conflict, Hezbollah has targeted Israel, prompting Tel Aviv to launch ground operations in southern Lebanon.The report also noted that despite the outreach, it remains unclear whether Tehran is genuinely willing to reach an agreement. Some Iranian officials reportedly believe they can inflict enough “physical, economic, and political pain” on the United States and Israel to force an end to the joint assault.In addition to its retaliatory strikes on Israel, Iran has targeted Gulf states hosting US military bases as well as civilian infrastructure in those countries.
