Iran’s “secret” offer to end US-Israeli attacks revealed
Iran’s “secret” offer to end US-Israeli attacks revealed
2026-03-04 04:42
Shafaq News – Washington
The New York Times revealed on Wednesday that Iranian intelligence operatives had indirectly contacted US intelligence and offered to discuss terms for ending the conflict.
The newspaper quoted informed officials as saying that “despite the public refusal of the remaining Iranian leaders to negotiate with US President Donald Trump to end the US-Israeli attacks on their country, one day after the confrontation began, agents from the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence indirectly contacted the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), offering to discuss terms for ending the conflict.”
The newspaper explained that “American officials doubt, especially in the short term, the readiness of Iran and the Trump administration to take a course of action that would get them out of the war that was ignited early last Saturday.”
The offer, presented through the state intelligence agency, raised questions “about the ability of Iranian officials to reach a ceasefire agreement, especially given the fragmentation and chaos within the government in Tehran,” according to the newspaper.
The newspaper quoted Middle Eastern and Western officials as saying that “Israeli officials, who are seeking to inflict maximum damage on Iran’s military capabilities and possibly topple its government, have urged their ally Washington to ignore this contact.”
In Washington, a Trump administration official deemed the offer “not serious,” especially after Trump said on Tuesday that “it is too late to hold any talks,” after saying days earlier that he was open to discussing any deal with Iran.
The New York Times stated that “this clandestine communication and the state of disarray within Iran’s leadership circles highlight the fundamental issue that Trump will face as he searches for the type of Iranian government he hopes to form or accept.”
Trump officials expect any agreement to halt the bombing to include “an Iranian commitment to abandon or significantly reduce its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, and its support for proxy groups abroad such as Hezbollah.”
In contrast, Trump hinted that he would allow the surviving Iranian leaders to maintain their economic and political influence.
But it is not clear whether Iran is actually open to making a deal despite its intelligence agencies communicating, as some Iranian leaders believe they are capable of inflicting enough physical, economic, and political damage on the United States and Israel to force them to end the attack.
shafaq.com
