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Iran on Thursday (local time) rejected a renewed ceasefire proposal from US President Donald Trump, which was delivered through Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi amid the escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, The New York Times reported, citing Iranian and Iraqi officials familiar with the matter.
The officials, who spoke to NYT on the condition of anonymity, said al-Zaidi's visit to Tehran came after his recent meeting with Trump at the White House, during which the Iraqi PM presented the proposal by the US president. The details of the proposed ceasefire agreement were not immediately available. However, Iranian officials told NYT that the proposal was the only offer currently on the table and indicated that Tehran was not interested in accepting a temporary arrangement that did not resolve the issue of control over the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian media, al-Zaidi travelled to Tehran with a delegation of senior Iraqi officials and held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Speaker of Iran's Parliament and top negotiator MB Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Speaking to state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on the sidelines of the Iraqi PM's meeting with Pezeshkian, Araghchi said that it was "natural" for al-Zaidi to convey his "views and perceptions" from his trip to Washington. "The Iraqi Prime Minister, of course, had a trip to Washington. It is natural that they would convey their views and perceptions from this trip to us, which is normal," the Iranian FM said. Araghchi further noted that Iran has an issue with the "American approach" in dealing with the Islamic Republic, which he described as "irrational, excessive and hegemonic". "The problem is the type of American approach, which is the irrational, excessive, and hegemonic approach of this country, which has been confronted by the authoritative approach of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said. The rejection of the ceasefire proposal came as Iran and the United States have witnessed a sharp rise in hostilities in recent weeks. US forces have carried out strikes on Iranian military facilities as well as civilian infrastructure, including railways, airports, bridges and seaports, while Iran has launched ballistic missile and drone attacks against US military targets in West Asia. Two Iranian officials told NYT that the country's armed forces were preparing for a possible expansion of the conflict if Trump follows through on threats to strike Tehran and critical infrastructure. The officials said Iran could widen the confrontation across the region, including by targeting Tel Aviv and seeking assistance from its Houthi allies to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically important waterway in the Red Sea. (ANI)
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