What to know on Day 26 of the Iran war: Tehran taunts Trump, US troop deployment

By Helen Regan, CNN

(CNN) — Iran’s military has mocked the Trump administration’s efforts to strike a deal to end the war, saying the United States is only “negotiating with yourselves.”

Despite President Donald Trump’s optimism that a deal with Tehran is in sight, sources have told CNN that around 1,000 US soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expected to deploy to the Middle East in the coming days, suggesting the president is keeping his options open.

Here’s what to know on Day 26 of the war.

What’s the latest on talks?

• Iran taunts Trump: Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for Iran’s military, taunted the US leadership in a message broadcast Wednesday on state television. “Has the level of your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?” he asked. Zolfaghari said the US’ “strategic power” had turned into a “strategic defeat.”
• 15-point plan: The US has shared a 15-point list of expectations with Iran via Pakistan, with talks between the warring countries floated in Islamabad later this week, two regional sources told CNN. Those points include limits on Tehran’s defense capabilities, a cessation of support for proxies and an acknowledgment of Israel’s right to exist, the sources said.
• Iran lists demands: In response to the US’ 15 points, an Iranian official has outlined five conditions for ending the war, state media outlet Press TV reported Wednesday. Those demands include concrete assurances that hostilities will not resume, compensation for war damages and a guarantee that Iran can exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran shuns Witkoff: Iranian representatives have let the Trump administration know that Tehran does not want to reenter negotiations with the US president’s favored diplomatic duo of Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, according to two regional sources, who said Tehran would rather deal with Vice President JD Vance.
• Iran willing to listen: An Iranian source told CNN on Tuesday that Washington had initiated “outreach” in recent days, “but nothing that has reached the level of full-on negotiations.” The source stressed that Iran “is not asking for a meeting or direct talks with the United States but is willing to listen if a plan for a sustainable deal comes within reach” that would preserve the regime’s interests. Initially, Tehran had denied any contact with Washington, saying that Trump’s claim of talks was a ruse to lower energy prices and buy time.
• Israel’s concerns: Israel, meanwhile, is concerned that the US may declare a one-month ceasefire in Iran to allow for negotiations, two Israeli sources told CNN.

What are the main headlines?

• US troop deployment: Around 1,000 US soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expecting to deploy to the Middle East in the coming days, according to two sources familiar with the matter, adding to the growing military firepower in the region even as the Trump administration touts talks to end the war with Iran.
• Crossing the strait: Iran will “absolutely” keep charging countries and vessels a fee for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in an interview with India Today. He said states that have “nothing to do with this act of aggression” may pass through the vital waterway after “coordination with Iranian authorities.”
• Philippine emergency : The Philippines has declared a state of national emergency due to the Iran war. The leader of the country, a US ally, warned of an “imminent danger” to the “availability and stability of the country’s energy supply.” Meanwhile, the effective closure of the strait is “economic terrorism against every nation,” said Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
• Israel expands mobilization: Israel is set to approve a major increase in the number of reserve soldiers it can mobilize, setting a new limit of 400,000, up from 280,000. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military will continue to operate in Lebanon against Hezbollah, with a specific focus on controlling the Litani River and its remaining bridges.
• More attacks: Drones hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a fire at the site, the country’s civil aviation authority said early Wednesday. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said a projectile struck the grounds of its Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday night and described the incident as a “renewed attack” by the US and Israel.
• Oil prices fall: The price of oil fell and the stock market rallied Wednesday after Trump suggested that a deal with Iran could be close, even though strikes are continuing across the Middle East. Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell to $99.5 a barrel.

What else is happening?

• North Korea’s nukes: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told parliament that the Iran war proves he was right to keep the country’s nuclear weapons. He called the US actions “state-sponsored terrorism and aggression.”
• Japan’s oil reserves: Japan will begin releasing 30 days’ worth of oil from its state-owned reserves on Thursday in an attempt to minimize economic disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Thursday’s release is part of a broader plan to release up to 45 days’ worth of oil in total, which would be Japan’s largest release.
• Iran security chief: Iran appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) veteran, to lead its national security after Ali Larijani was killed in an Israeli strike last week. Zolghadr is a loyalist of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and analysts say his elevation signals Khamenei is tightening his grip on power.
• Injured Americans: About 290 US service members have been injured during combat operations targeting Iran as of Tuesday, up from approximately 200 last week, according to a spokesperson for US Central Command.

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