Perhaps for the first time in modern history the United States appears so weak and self trapped, as it decided to launch a war in which it has neither strategic objectives nor any solid plan for victory, but above all not even the capability for regime change in Iran.
After 17 days of relentless pounding from Iranian missiles, both on Israeli territory and against American bases in the Gulf states, the United States is backing down and turning to diplomacy to achieve favorable ceasefire terms.
This is demonstrated by the revealing report of Axios on 16/3, which reports the desperate effort of Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to reopen diplomatic communication channels with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghci.
It is not clear how substantive the messages exchanged between Araghchi and Witkoff were, but this is the first known direct communication between the two sides since the beginning of the war more than two weeks ago.
It is now reasonable that the countdown for the end of the most foolish war in history and the “Great Exit” of the United States from the geopolitical wormhole into which it entered together with Netanyahu has just begun.
Trump signals the great exit: The war may end by the end of the week
Indicative of the overall climate in the United States is the fact that on the evening of March 16, the President of the United States Donald Trump essentially announced the imminent end of the conflict in Iran.
The American leader referred to the timeline for the end of the military operation during a meeting with journalists at the White House, according to RIA Novosti.
At the same time Trump emphasized that “we will not have to wait long.”
He admitted that the conflict could end even within the current week, however he rushed to express doubts about whether this will ultimately prove feasible.
Axios bombshell: Witkoff messages to the Iranian foreign minister about a ceasefire
At the same time, according to the American official cited by the American outlet Axios, Araghchi sent messages to Witkoff focusing on the need to end the war.
However, the website Drop Site News reported on Monday 16/23 that it was Witkoff himself who had sent messages to Araghchi, citing Iranian officials who claimed that the Iranian foreign minister ignored the messages of the American envoy.
According to the United States version, it was Araghchi who was trying to make contact, but the sources emphasized to Axios that the United States “does not talk” with Iran.
Neither the official nor the source provided further information regarding the number of messages exchanged or their content.
Trump searches for a way out: I am not opposed to talks
It is noted that President Donald Trump stated on Monday 16/3 that Iran had contacted the United States, but it was not clear whether the Iranian officials involved in the communication had the authority to conclude an agreement.
“They want to make a deal. They are talking to our people. we have people who want to negotiate, but we have no idea who they are,” Trump told reporters.
Despite his “doubts about whether Tehran is ready for an agreement,” Trump noted that he is not opposed to talks with the Iranians “because sometimes good things come out of them.”
He also pointed out that it is unclear who makes the decisions in Iran, as many top officials have died, and he referred to the new Supreme Leader of Iran Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared and may be dead.
They have already discussed details: We reject providing compensation to Iran
For his part, a senior American official rejected Iran’s demand for “compensation” as part of a peace agreement, but stated that Trump is open to an agreement that would allow Iran to “integrate with the rest of the world and make money from its oil.”
“The President is always open to an agreement. But he does not negotiate from a position of weakness. He is not withdrawing from the reasons this conflict started,” the official said.
Iran officially rejects ceasefire negotiations
Iranian officials have publicly stated in recent days that they are not conducting ceasefire negotiations with the Trump administration.
The officials said that Iran is not interested in a temporary ceasefire that would allow the United States and Israel to regroup and attack again, but instead wants guarantees for a permanent peace agreement.
Why the Americans recognize Araghchi as an interlocutor
Araghchi was not considered an important decision making figure in Iran before the war and American officials do not believe he has the authority to make decisions today.
However, it appears that the Iranian foreign minister coordinates with the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Larijani, who is the de facto leader of Iran since the assassination of the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to sources.
American officials consider Araghchi the appropriate interlocutor because of their pre existing relationship with him and because he is still alive.
Pezeshkian clarifies: Temporary ceasefire talks are pointless - We demand US withdrawal from the Gulf
Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East are reaching their peak as the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian set a strict condition for ending the war with the United States.
In a post on social media Pezeshkian clarified that any discussion of peace is “pointless” unless the United States guarantees that there will be no new attacks against Tehran.
“Talking about ending the war is meaningless until we are certain that there will be no further attacks on our territory,” emphasized the Iranian leader, adding that he raised this issue during a phone conversation with the French President Emmanuel Macron.
Pezeshkian emphasized the need to stop the use of American military bases in the Middle East to undermine Iran’s relations with the Persian Gulf countries, warning that his country will not succumb to intimidation.
We do not talk with bullies
Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran will continue military actions until the President of the United States Donald Trump realizes the “mistake” of his attack on the country.
“I emphasized that Iran did not start this terrible war. Defense against invasion is a natural right,” stressed Pezeshkian, adding that peace in the region cannot exist while ignoring “Zionist American aggression.”
During his conversation with Macron, the Iranian president stressed that his country will not surrender to “bullies” and expected the international community to condemn the aggression and pressure the attackers to respect international law.
“Talking about a ‘cessation of aggression’ without ensuring that there will be no attack on our territory is completely meaningless,” Pezeshkian concluded, leaving hanging the threat of a war whose evolution no one can predict.
The international community is watching with bated breath, while the Middle East appears to be one step away from an unprecedented military escalation.
Comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear program with Russian mediation on the table
It is noted that a particularly significant geopolitical proposal appears to have been placed on the table during talks between the President of the United States Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during their phone conversation this week.
According to information cited by Axios, Putin proposed transferring Iran’s enriched uranium to Russia as part of a possible agreement to end the war.
However, the proposal was rejected by Trump, as emphasized by the American network.
The critical issue of Iranian uranium
At the center of the conflict is Iran’s nuclear stockpile.
Tehran reportedly possesses about 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, a quantity that according to Western estimates could be converted into nuclear weapons material within a few weeks and be sufficient for more than ten nuclear warheads.
Securing or neutralizing this stockpile constitutes a central strategic objective of the United States and Israel in the war against Iran.
At a theoretical level Putin’s proposal could offer a solution without the need to send American or Israeli forces onto Iranian territory to seize the nuclear facilities.
Why Russia was proposed
Russia is considered one of the few countries in the world with the technical capability and infrastructure to store or manage such nuclear material.
Moreover it would not be the first time it assumed such a role.
Within the framework of the 2015 agreement on Iran’s nuclear program Russia had already undertaken to store low enriched Iranian uranium, contributing to oversight of the country’s nuclear program.
Discussions behind closed doors
According to American sources Putin presented multiple ideas for ending the war during his phone conversation with Trump on Monday (9/3/2026).
The transfer of the uranium to Russia was one of them.
However an American official stated that the proposal is not new and has already been examined in the past.
“This is not the first time it has been proposed.
It has not been accepted.
The position of the United States is that the uranium must be secured,” he said.
Similar ideas had also been raised during the United States Iran negotiations in May 2025, before the American and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June of the same year.
The position of Iran
It is recalled that during the last round of negotiations before the war broke out Iran had rejected the idea of transferring the uranium abroad.
Instead it had proposed diluting the enriched uranium within its own facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
It is not clear whether Tehran would now be willing to reconsider such a proposal given the dramatic developments in the war.
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