Amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, Iran rejected US President Donald Trump’s renewed ceasefire proposal, delivered through Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, on Thursday (local time), according to the New York Times report.
Citing Iranian and Iraqi officials, the NYT reported that al-Zaidi’s visit to Tehran came after his recent meeting with at the White House, during which the Iraqi PM presented the US president’s proposal.
The details of the proposed ceasefire agreement were not immediately available.
Iranian officials, however, told the NYT that the proposal was the only offer currently on the table and indicated that Tehran was not interested in accepting a temporary arrangement that did not resolve control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Al-Zaidi travelled to Tehran with a delegation of senior Iraqi officials and held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian Speaker and Iranian top negotiator — MB Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister , according to Iranian media.
‘Perceptions from trip’: Araghchi on al-Zaidi
On the sidelines, Araghchi said it was “natural” for al-Zaidi to convey his “views and perceptions” from his trip to Washington, according to state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
“The Iraqi Prime Minister, of course, had a trip to Washington. It is natural that they would convey their views and perceptions from this trip to us, which is normal,” the Iranian FM said.
Araghchi also noted that Iran has an issue with the “American approach” in dealing with the Islamic Republic, which he described as “irrational, excessive and hegemonic”.
“The problem is the type of American approach, which is the irrational, excessive, and hegemonic approach of this country, which has been confronted by the authoritative approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said.
US-Iran war
The rejection of the ceasefire proposal came as Iran and the United States have witnessed a sharp rise in hostilities in recent weeks.
US forces have carried out strikes on Iranian military facilities as well as civilian infrastructure, including railways, airports, bridges and seaports, while Iran has launched ballistic missile and drone attacks against US military targets in West Asia.
Two Iranian officials told NYT that the country’s armed forces were preparing for a possible expansion of the conflict if Trump follows through on threats to strike Tehran and critical infrastructure.
The officials said Iran could widen the confrontation across the region, including by targeting and seeking assistance from its Houthi allies to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically important waterway in the Red Sea.
(With agency inputs)
