Iran rejects ceasefire proposal, wants Lebanon in deal
Iran has rejected a proposed truce in its war with the United States and Israel, state media reported, despite a stark threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to destroy its vital infrastructure.
"Iran has conveyed to Pakistan its response to the American proposal to end the war," the news agency IRNA said, without revealing its source or what the U.S. offer contained.
Several countries have been acting as mediators to try to halt more than five weeks of fighting sparked by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which responded by effectively shutting down the strategic Strait of Hormuz and firing missiles at targets in the Middle East.
"In this response -– set out in ten points –- Iran... has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict," the Iranian state news agency added.
IRNA also said Tehran's demands included "an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, reconstruction, and the lifting of sanctions".
The New York Times, citing two unnamed senior Iranian officials, reported that Tehran was also seeking guarantees it would not face future attacks, and that Israeli strikes against its ally Hezbollah in southern Lebanon would cease.
Under the reported plan, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping while charging about $2 million per vessel, a fee it would share with Oman, which borders the waterway, according to the New York Times.
Iran would use its share of the revenue to rebuild infrastructure damaged by U.S.-Israeli strikes, instead of seeking direct compensation, the newspaper said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday called the plan a "significant proposal" but he later went on to say it was not good enough.
Trump had warned on Sunday that unless Tehran agreed by Tuesday evening to allow free passage to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, he would order strikes on its power plants and bridges.
Source: Agence France Presse
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