Iran rejects Trump’s ceasefire proposal as strikes continue across the region – nationally
Iran on Wednesday rejected the US plan to stop the war in the Middle East and launched attacks on Israel and the Gulf Arab countries, including an attack that started a huge fire at the Kuwait International Airport.
Iran’s defiance came as Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and Washington sent paratroopers and more marines to the region.
Iran’s English-language state television broadcaster, Press TV, quoted an unnamed official as saying that Iran is rejecting the US proposal to end the violence. The Press TV report came after Pakistan forwarded the proposal to Iran.
“Iran will end the war if it decides to do so and when its conditions are met,” Press TV quoted the official as saying. The official added that Tehran will continue “heavy blows” across the Mideast.
Earlier, two Pakistani officials elaborated on the 15-point proposal to the US, saying it talks about sanctions relief, the rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, missile restrictions and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped.
An Egyptian official involved in mediation efforts said the proposal included restrictions on Iran’s support for armed groups. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not yet been released.
Some of those points were non-starters in the talks before the war: Iran has insisted it will not discuss its missile program or its military support for the region, which it sees as key to its security. And its ability to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz represents one of its greatest strategic advantages.
Iran’s attacks on the region’s energy infrastructure and its restrictions on the strait have sent oil prices soaring and fueled fears of a global energy crisis, putting pressure on the US to find a way to ease congestion and calm markets.
More US troops are on the way
At least 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division will be deployed to the Mideast in the coming days, three people with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.
Paratroopers are trained to jump into hostile or contested areas to protect critical terrain and airfields.
The Pentagon is also in the process of sending about 5,000 more Marines, trained in surprise attacks, and thousands of sailors to the region.
Diplomatic efforts face challenges
The 15-point plan now in Iranian hands is a “comprehensive agreement” to reach a ceasefire, according to an Egyptian official.
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Mediators are seeking personal talks between the Iranians and the Americans, possibly as early as Friday in Pakistan, Egyptian and Pakistani officials said.
Trump said the US is “in talks right now” and that participants include special envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. He did not reveal who in Iran they were contacting, but said “on the other hand, I can tell you, they would like to make a deal.”
Press TV, like all state TV channels controlled by hard-liners, presented its five-point plan from the official who rejected the US proposal.
It included a moratorium on the execution of its officials, which means no more war with it, war compensation, the end of hostilities and “Iran’s exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”
Those measures, especially the reparations and its continued tightening over the Strait of Hormuz, may not be acceptable in the White House as the world powers remain affected by the war.
Israeli officials, who have been fighting for Trump to continue the war against Iran, were surprised by the launch of the plan to end the war, according to a person briefed on the proposal who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Any negotiations between the US and Iran will face significant challenges. It is not clear who in the Iranian government has the authority to negotiate – or who would agree, as Israel has vowed to continue assassinating the country’s leaders.
Iran remains highly suspicious of the United States, which has attacked twice under the Trump administration during high-level talks, including the February 28 strikes that started the current war.
“We have a very bad experience with US negotiations,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told India Today on Tuesday.
Israel begins new strikes
The Israeli military said on Wednesday afternoon that it had ended several waves of airstrikes in Tehran. The army also said that as part of its strikes the previous day it had targeted Iran’s submarine development center in Isfahan.
“There were days when the bombing was so intense that you couldn’t do anything,” said a 26-year-old student in Tehran, adding that his friends stayed at home. He spoke and asked that his name be withheld due to security concerns.
Missile warning bells went off several times in Israel as Iran launched its attack.
Drone and rocket fire from the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group continued unabated. Since the fighting began, the group has fired rockets into northern Israel day and night, disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
Iran also maintained pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense says it has destroyed at least eight drones in the kingdom’s oil-rich Eastern Province, as well as fines for missile warnings in Bahrain.
Kuwait said it shot down several drones, but the General Civil Aviation Authority said one of them hit a fuel tank at the Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire that caused a lot of smoke in the sky.
The death toll in Iran has exceeded 1,500, the Ministry of Health said. Israel says 20 people have died in the fighting, including two Lebanese soldiers. At least 13 members of the American military were killed, along with more than a dozen civilians in West Bank and Gulf Arab states.
Authorities say more than 1,000 people have died in Lebanon, where Israel targeted terrorists from the Iran-linked Hezbollah group, which also fired at Israel.
In Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias have also joined the war, 80 members of the security forces have been killed, said senior security adviser Khalid al-Yaqoubi.
Energy prices are rebounding but remain high
News of negotiations that may lower the price of oil. Brent crude, the international standard, has been close to US$120 a barrel during the conflict but was trading below US$100 on Wednesday. It is still up about 35 percent since the start of the war.
Reports of de-escalation efforts also boosted stock markets, with the S&P 500 rising just over 1 percent in early trade.
Economists and leaders have warned of far-reaching consequences if electricity prices remain high – from rising prices of food and other basic goods to higher mortgage rates and car loans.
A major driver of oil prices has been Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has allowed a small number of ships through the strait, but has said no ships from the US, Israel or countries seen as allies can pass through.
Asked in an interview with India Today whether Iran was charging the ships to sail, Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said “absolutely.” He did not elaborate.
