Iran receives U.S. ceasefire plan but rejects idea of negotiating

Iran has rejected the United States’ plan to suspend the conflict in the Middle East and launched new attacks against Israel and Arab Gulf countries on Wednesday.

Press TV, the English-language channel of the Iranian state television, quoted an anonymous official confirming that Iran rejected the American ceasefire proposal.

This message on Press TV was aired after Pakistan transmitted Washington’s proposal to Iran.

“Iran will end the war when it decides to and when its own conditions are met,” the official declared, according to Press TV.

The official also stated that Tehran would continue to deliver “hard blows” across the Middle East.

Earlier, two Pakistani officials had revealed that the American 15-point proposal included easing sanctions and dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. It also addressed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global oil supply.

According to an Egyptian official involved in mediation efforts, the proposal also included restrictions concerning Iran’s support for armed groups in the region.

Officials spoke anonymously to discuss details not made public.

Before the war, Iran had insisted that it would not negotiate its ballistic missile program or its support for regional militias, which it considers essential to its security.

Major Obstacles: Mediators are pushing for in-person talks between Iranians and Americans, possibly starting from Friday in Pakistan, Egyptian and Pakistani officials hinted.

US President Donald Trump claimed that the US was “in negotiation” with Iran, but did not reveal with whom from the Iranian side they were in contact.

Press TV, like all Iranian state television channels, is controlled by hardliners. It mentioned an Iranian five-point ceasefire plan presented by the same official who rejected the American proposal.

These measures are likely to be unacceptable to the White House as the global energy supply remains affected by the war.

Israel Launches New Strikes: Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced carrying out multiple waves of airstrikes on Tehran. It also targeted an Iranian submarine development center in Isfahan the previous day.

Missile alert sirens sounded several times in Israel as Iran launched its own attacks.

Drone and rocket fire by the Hezbollah militant group, supported by Iran, continued unabated. Since entering the conflict, the group has been firing rockets into northern Israel around the clock.

Iran also kept pressure on its Arab Gulf neighbors. The Saudi Defense Ministry reported destroying at least eight drones in the oil-rich eastern province, while missile alert sirens blared in Bahrain.

Kuwait shot down several drones, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation said one drone hit a fuel tank at the international airport, causing a fire.

American Troops Deploying: At least 1,000 troops from the US 82nd Airborne Division will be sent to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three Associated Press sources.

These paratroopers are trained to land in hostile or contested areas to secure strategic territories and airfields.

The Pentagon is also deploying around 5,000 additional marines to the region, trained in amphibious assaults.

Since the start of the war, the death toll in Iran has surpassed 1,500, according to the Health Ministry. Israel claims 20 people have died, including 2 soldiers in Lebanon. At least 13 American military personnel have been killed, along with several civilians in occupied West Bank and Arab Gulf states.

Authorities report over 1,000 deaths in Lebanon, where Israel targeted Hezbollah.

In Iraq, where Iran-backed militant groups are also involved, 80 security force members have been killed in the conflict, as reported by Khalid al-Yaqoubi, a senior security adviser.