Iran rejected the US ceasefire proposal conveyed by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi. According to the New York Times, the Tehran administration did not accept the proposal because it did not meet its demands regarding the future control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi met with US President Donald Trump at the White House about 10 days ago and then traveled to Tehran to deliver the ceasefire proposal. In Tehran, al-Zaydi met with President Masoud Pezeshkian, chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Iranian officials stated that the proposal did not meet their demands. Foreign Minister Araghchi said the problem was not a lack of mediators but the US's "irrational and hegemonic perspective."
Military escalation and the threat of expansion
The military escalation between Washington and Tehran continues. While the US intensifies its strikes on infrastructure targets such as Iranian military bases, airports, bridges, and ports, Iran has responded with ballistic missiles and drones against several countries in the region.
Iranian officials said that if Trump carries out his threats to strike Tehran and vital facilities, the armed forces are prepared for the war to expand. According to these officials, Iran will take steps including widening the scope of the conflict, targeting Tel Aviv, and demanding the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait through the Houthis.