The Iranian regime has rejected a ceasefire proposal that would have put a halt to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the country’s state-run IRNA media agency reported.
Tehran, instead, said it would only accept a permanent end to the war and responded with a list of requested clauses that included a complete end to regional hostilities and a protocol for vessel safety in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters.
“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, chief Iranian diplomat, told the Associated Press on Monday. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”
Iran’s rejection of the proposal comes just over 24 hours before President Donald Trump’s 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline for Iran to either agree to a deal or reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has warned the regime that if it does not meet the negotiating deadline, “all Hell will reign down,” as the United States will resume its attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure.
As the president’s deadline looms, Vice President JD Vance has reportedly been leading peace talks with Pakistani officials operating as intermediaries between the U.S. and Iranian governments. After both sides received the proposed peace plan, Reuters reported — before Iran’s rejection — that the proposal could come into play as early as Monday.
“They’ve made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal. It’s a significant step. It’s not good enough. But it’s a very significant step,” Trump said of the peace proposal on Monday morning.
OIL AND GAS PRICES LIKELY TO STAY ELEVATED EVEN IF THERE IS A CEASEFIRE IN IRAN
Trump told reporters during the Monday press gaggle that he believes Tehran has been negotiating “in good faith.”
“We’ve had total regime change, the people there now are much more reasonable than the lunatics you had in phase one and phase two,” Trump said.