Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Proposal Delivered by Iraqi PM

Washington - Iran has rejected a ceasefire proposal from the United States that was delivered by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to a report by The New York Times, as fighting between the two nations continues for nearly a fortnight. Citing Iranian and Iraqi officials familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported that al-Zaidi conveyed the proposal during a visit to Iran after meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. Details of the proposal have not been disclosed. However, Iranian officials described it as the only proposal currently being put forward by the US. Iran rejected it because it did not address the issue of control over the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian media, al-Zaidi’s visit to Tehran was his first official trip since taking office as prime minister of Iraq in May. The report also stated that Iranian officials are preparing for the possibility of a wider conflict if Trump follows through on threats to attack Iran and other critical infrastructure. Two Iranian officials told The New York Times, as cited by Anadolu, that such an attack would prompt Iran to expand the war regionally, including by targeting Tel Aviv. Iran would also ask the Houthi group in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait. On Wednesday, Iranian authorities said the death toll from the ongoing US strikes had reached 53, with 592 others wounded. Tensions in the region have escalated sharply over the past two weeks after Trump announced on 8 July that the ceasefire outlined in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran was no longer in effect. The confrontation has disrupted shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, threatened global energy supplies, and triggered periodic airspace closures. Additionally, warnings of attacks on US facilities and interests outside the Middle East have also increased.