The conflict in the Middle East has entered a new phase as the United States and Iran presented separate counter-proposals aimed at ending the ongoing war that began three weeks ago. The crisis, which also involves Israel, continues to raise global concern as diplomatic efforts intensify to secure a ceasefire agreement. United States President Donald Trump introduced a detailed 15-point framework intended to bring the war to an end. The proposal outlined strict conditions that must be fulfilled before hostilities could stop, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear programme and regional military activities. According to the plan, nuclear facilities located in Natanz Nuclear Facility, Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center, and Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant would have to be completely dismantled. The proposal also demanded full transparency under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, ensuring that all nuclear-related activities in Tehran are monitored without restriction. Washington’s proposal further required Iran to abandon the use of armed proxy groups across the region, halt the supply of weapons to allied militias, and end financial support for organizations operating outside its borders. In addition, the plan stated that Iran must surrender all enriched nuclear material to international inspectors and permanently agree not to pursue nuclear weapons development in the future. The United States government transmitted the proposal directly to Tehran, signalling the White House’s urgency to find a diplomatic exit from the conflict as economic pressure linked to the war continues to grow. Iran Rejects Proposal and Presents New Conditions Iran dismissed the 15-point framework and responded with its own list of demands, describing the American plan as unacceptable. Officials in Tehran stated that any ceasefire would only take place based on Iran’s conditions and within a timeline determined by its leadership. Iran’s counter-proposal reportedly included a demand for the closure of American military bases across the Middle East and the creation of a new shipping regulation for the Strait of Hormuz, allowing Tehran to charge transit fees for vessels passing through the channel, similar to how Egypt collects tolls at the Suez Canal. The Iranian leadership also insisted that Israel must end its military operations against the Iran-supported Lebanese group Hezbollah. Furthermore, Tehran called for the removal of all international sanctions and demanded that its missile programme remain untouched, with no negotiations permitted to limit its development. State broadcaster Press TV quoted a senior security official who confirmed that the United States proposal had been reviewed and formally rejected. The official stated that Iran would not allow Washington to decide when the war should end, stressing that the country would only agree to stop fighting when its own conditions are fully satisfied. He described the American terms as excessive and unrealistic, adding that Tehran considers the proposal one-sided and unacceptable. Iranian Military Mocks Ceasefire Efforts Iranian military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari criticised the United States for what he described as weak negotiation tactics. In a recorded message broadcast on national television, he claimed that American strategic influence in the region had turned into failure. He stated that a country claiming global dominance should have already resolved the conflict if it truly had control, adding that attempts to present defeat as diplomacy would not succeed. According to him, Iran has maintained the same position since the beginning of the war and has no intention of changing it. He added that Iran would never accept an agreement imposed by the United States and insisted that the conflict would end only when Tehran decides the time is right. Pentagon Expands Missile Production for Ongoing War As diplomatic tensions continue, the United States Department of Defense announced new agreements with major defence manufacturers to increase missile production due to the heavy use of munitions during the conflict. Contracts were signed with Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems to significantly increase the output of seeker heads used in the THAAD missile defence system, which has been widely deployed in the Middle East to intercept Iranian attacks. The Pentagon stated that the objective is to place the defence industry on a wartime production level to maintain sufficient stockpiles. Production of THAAD components is expected to increase several times over the next few years. Another agreement with Lockheed Martin will accelerate manufacturing of Precision Strike Missiles, a modern tactical ballistic weapon that replaced the older ATACMS system and has already been used during the current conflict. A separate contract with Honeywell Aerospace will expand the production of navigation systems, missile control components, and electronic warfare equipment required for modern air-to-air and ground-based missile systems. The company confirmed a long-term investment aimed at strengthening manufacturing capacity so that defence technology can be produced at a much faster rate during the war. UN Warns Middle East War Is Escalating The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, warned that the situation in the Middle East is becoming increasingly dangerous and could lead to wider global consequences if fighting continues. He stated that the conflict has gone beyond what world leaders expected and risks triggering a larger regional war. According to him, prolonged fighting will bring more human suffering and could cause serious economic disruption worldwide. Guterres urged all parties involved to return to negotiations and avoid further escalation, warning that the longer the war continues, the more difficult it will become to control its impact.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated that the recent bombing campaign against Tehran caused no meaningful damage to Iran’s ability to continue military operations against Israel and the United States.According to him, the country remains operational because of its decentralised “mosaic defence strategy,” which was designed to prevent collapse even after leadership losses. His remarks were published on X while the regional conflict continues to escalate following the 28 February strikes carried out by the United States and Israel. Reports from the Israel Defense Forces and statements from Donald Trump indicated that the attacks killed dozens of senior Iranian officials, including the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Since then, the confrontation has spread beyond Iran and Israel, affecting the wider Middle East region. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against Israeli targets and US-aligned Gulf nations, while Lebanon has become involved due to support from Hezbollah. Fact-checking journalists from Euronews examined Iran’s military structure to determine whether the claim that the strikes caused no damage is realistic. Understanding Iran’s Mosaic Defence Strategy Iran’s mosaic defence doctrine is built on the idea that the country should never rely on a single central command.Instead, authority is divided among many independent regional units so that even if top leaders are eliminated, the military can continue operating. Experts trace the origin of this concept to the early 2000s, shortly after the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. Analysts observed that the rapid fall of Saddam Hussein’s government happened partly because US forces quickly destroyed the leadership chain. Rather than strengthening centralized control, Iranian planners chose the opposite approach — spreading command authority across provinces, military branches, and institutions. During the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jafari, who commanded Iran’s Revolutionary Guard from 2007 to 2019, the system became more structured and deeply integrated into the country’s defence planning. Under this strategy, each province functions as a separate defensive unit with its own commanders, supply reserves, and local production capability.Iran has 31 provinces, and each one can operate with a high level of autonomy if the national command structure is damaged. This model is meant to allow Iran to survive both airstrikes and a possible ground invasion. How Sanctions Shaped Iran’s Military Structure For more than four decades, Iran has been under heavy Western sanctions linked to its nuclear programme, regional proxy support, and human-rights concerns. Because of this isolation, the country has been forced to rely heavily on domestic production of weapons, drones, and military equipment. Instead of concentrating factories in a few locations, Iran distributed manufacturing sites across multiple provinces.Warehouses, storage facilities, and drone workshops are scattered across the country to reduce the risk of total destruction during attacks. Military analysts say this arrangement also supports Iran’s long-term strategy of prolonging conflicts, since extended wars can create political pressure on Western governments. The belief behind this approach is that democratic countries often struggle to sustain long military campaigns, especially when costs increase over time. Iran’s Response After US-Israeli Airstrikes The United States announced that its main objectives were to eliminate Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities, weaken naval forces, and stop regional proxy groups from threatening American troops in the Middle East. Israel issued similar statements, saying the operation aimed to remove threats linked to Iran’s missile programme and allied militant networks. Even after losing senior leaders, Iran managed to launch retaliatory strikes against Israel and several Gulf states.Targets included oil facilities, airports, and military bases in countries aligned with the United States. These actions suggest that the decentralised command system allowed Iran to continue operating despite heavy losses. However, officials from Iran’s diplomatic mission at the United Nations avoided directly confirming that the bombings had no effect.Instead, they focused on civilian casualties, including reports of a school bombing that killed more than 170 people. Has the Conflict Reduced Iran’s Military Capabilities? Since the start of the war, US and Israeli forces have attacked naval bases, missile storage sites, and launch platforms across Iran. Thousands of missiles and drones were fired during the first days of the conflict, but later reports indicated a sharp decrease in launches. According to US officials, ballistic missile activity dropped by more than 80% compared to the initial phase of the war. Military analysts believe this decline may be caused by: Israeli estimates claim that a large percentage of Iran’s missile launch systems have been destroyed, although officials also warn that Iran may still have hidden stockpiles in underground bunkers often called “missile cities.” Because these facilities are built deep underground, it is still unclear how much damage has actually been done. Drones remain one of Iran’s strongest tools, since they are cheaper to produce and harder to stop.Recent attacks in the Gulf region showed that even small drones can cause serious economic damage. Civilian Impact and Humanitarian Consequences The war has also caused major civilian casualties. Iranian officials reported more than a thousand civilian deaths and many thousands injured since the strikes began. Healthcare infrastructure has also been damaged, with hospitals, ambulances, and emergency centers hit during the conflict. The World Health Organization confirmed several attacks affecting medical facilities. Large numbers of people have fled major cities, especially Tehran, moving to northern regions and rural areas to escape the fighting. The United Nations refugee agency estimates that millions of people may have been displaced. Propaganda, Messaging, and Psychological Warfare Military experts say that statements claiming the strikes had “no impact” may also be part of wartime messaging. Publicly emphasizing the strength of the mosaic defence system helps reassure the Iranian population that the government remains in control. At the same time, such statements send a signal to foreign opponents that removing leaders will not quickly end the conflict. This kind of communication is common during wars, where information is often used as a strategic tool alongside weapons. Even though Iran’s decentralized system allows continued resistance, current data suggests that the strikes have caused significant but not total damage to its military capacity.
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In the midst of escalating conflict, Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has delivered a strong warning to Iran regarding its ongoing retaliatory strikes. According to Katz, Iran will suffer severe consequences if it persists in its aggressive responses toward Israel. Speaking during a strategic assessment session with the Israeli military’s chief of staff on Saturday, Katz firmly declared: “If Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continues launching missile attacks against Israel’s home front — Tehran will burn.” This stark warning follows deadly Iranian retaliation, which resulted in the deaths of at least three Israeli citizens and left several others injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly addressed the attacks, expressing condolences to the victims’ families and reaffirming his government’s commitment to preventing further threats, particularly those involving nuclear and ballistic missiles from Iran. In what appeared to be a preventive measure, Israeli forces targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, highlighting growing fears surrounding Iran’s controversial regime. Iran responded swiftly and fiercely, launching a barrage of drones and missile strikes on various locations within Israel, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
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Two individuals have lost their lives following a series of missile strikes launched by Iran, which reportedly hit Tel Aviv in four separate waves. According to the Jerusalem Post, one Israeli woman succumbed to injuries sustained during the Iranian attacks on Saturday. Another fatality occurred during the fourth wave of the missile barrage. Reports indicate that multiple residential structures in Tel Aviv suffered extensive damage from what were described as Iranian ballistic missiles. Emergency response teams were seen combing through the wreckage, searching for any survivors trapped beneath the rubble. As previously covered by LMSINT MEDIA, Iran initiated coordinated missile strikes across various regions in Israel from Friday night into the early hours of Saturday. Images circulating on social media platforms depicted homes either completely obliterated or suffering partial structural collapse due to the attack. Israel’s national emergency medical services confirmed that 21 people were being treated and evacuated after one of the rockets hit Israel’s central coastal plain. It is important to recall that, prior to this latest assault, Israel’s military had conducted numerous airstrikes targeting Iranian facilities in what appears to be an ongoing escalation between the two nations.
