WASHINGTON — The White House confirmed Thursday that it delivered a 15-point peace proposal to Tehran through Pakistani intermediaries, even as senior U.S. officials signaled the possibility of significant military escalation if diplomatic progress stalls.

President Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting, stated that 'the conflict with Iran will end soon,' while simultaneously warning Tehran on Truth Social that there is 'no turning back' if Iran does not engage in serious negotiations. The Wall Street Journal, cited in the source reporting, writes that Trump has privately told aides he wants a 'speedy end to the war' and believes the conflict is in its 'final stages,' with a publicly stated four-to-six-week timeline.

Vice President JD Vance stated at the Cabinet meeting that 'the Iranian conventional military is effectively destroyed,' adding that this gives the United States 'the ability to use every tool in the U.S. disposal to ensure Iran never has a nuclear weapon.' Trump separately claimed that Iran had been 'two to four weeks away' from achieving a nuclear weapon, in apparent reference to events preceding the current conflict.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared: 'The Department of War will continue negotiating with bombs,' a formulation that drew attention for its explicit pairing of military action with ongoing diplomatic outreach.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Iran had 'repeatedly rebuffed' U.S. requests and had been 'stalling,' warning: 'Iran has miscalculated. Don't miscalculate again.'

Iran confirmed through state media outlet Tasnim that it received the 15-point proposal within the last 24 hours and formally rejected it as 'one-sided, unfair, and deceptive.' Iranian state media further stated there is currently 'no arrangement for negotiations' and 'no realistic plan for talks at this moment.' However, Tasnim also quoted an unnamed source stating: 'Diplomacy has not stopped. If realism prevails within the U.S., then a way forward could be found.'

Israel separately announced the killing of Alireza Tangsiri, described as the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy.

According to Axios, also cited in the source reporting, the White House and Pentagon are reviewing several options described as a potential 'final blow,' including a seizure or blockade of Kharg Island — Iran's primary oil export hub — control of islands near the Strait of Hormuz, airstrikes on nuclear and energy infrastructure, interdiction of Iranian oil tankers, and, in a more extreme scenario, ground operations inside Iran to secure nuclear material. Axios noted that a five-day U.S. pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure was set to expire Saturday, and that military escalation would grow more likely absent diplomatic progress, particularly if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.

A separate New York Times report cited in the source states that 13 U.S. regional military bases were rendered 'largely uninhabitable' following Iranian ballistic missile retaliation in the Gulf. Iran was also reported to be reinforcing defenses on Kharg Island.

Trump referenced market impacts at the Cabinet meeting, stating that drops in oil prices and stock markets had not been 'that severe.'