Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Proposal

Iran has turned down a US proposal for a ceasefire, instead sending back a ten-point response that calls for a permanent end to the war, according to the official IRNA news agency. "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," IRNA said. Tehran conveyed its position to Washington through Pakistan on Monday. The response includes demands for an end to all conflicts in the region, a protocol governing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions and a commitment to reconstruction, IRNA reported. The US, on the other hand, said that President Donald Trump has not yet approved any draft ceasefire deal. "A 45-day ceasefire is one of many ideas, and POTUS (Trump) has not signed off on it," a White House official told news agency AFP following media reports on a possible ceasefire proposal. On Sunday, President Trump used his social media platform, Truth Social, to issue an ultimatum to Iran. He set a deadline of "Tuesday, 8.00 pm Eastern Time" for the country to open the Strait of Hormuz. In another expletive-laden post, the president threatened to target Iran's energy infrastructure if the waterway remains closed. "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah," Trump wrote. The president repeated this warning on Monday. Trump has made similar statements in the past, often extending deadlines even as mediators reported potential progress toward ending the conflict on mutually agreeable terms