Iran rejects ceasefire, wants permanent end to war, as Trump ultimatum nears
Mediators had proposed a ceasefire plan and peace settlement. Iran will only accept ‘end of the war’ with guarantee of no further attacks
Iran on Monday rejected the latest ceasefire proposal and instead said it wants a permanent end to the war, as US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum loomed within hours.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Tehran had conveyed its response through Pakistan, a key mediator.
“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” said Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”
The White House did not immediately comment, though Trump was set to speak to journalists Monday afternoon in his first public appearance since Wednesday. He had been relatively quiet during the rescue of downed US aviators in Iran.
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Trump wants Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz or see its power plants and bridges attacked.
Ferdousi Pour said Iranian and Omani officials were working on a mechanism for administrating the shipping chokepoint.