Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Proposal Delivered via Iraqi PM

Iran on Thursday reportedly rejected a ceasefire proposal from the United States that was sent to Tehran via Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. The rejection was reported by The New York Times, just hours before US Central Command concluded its 13th night of strikes against targets in Iran. According to Iranian officials cited by the NYT, Tehran is not interested in a “temporary deal” that leaves the status of the Strait of Hormuz without resolution, the fundamental point of contention that recently caused a memorandum between Iran and the US to fail to be implemented. The proposal brought by Zaidi to Tehran on Wednesday was drafted after the Iraqi prime minister met with US President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this month. Hours before the rejection from Iran, Trump signalled he was in no rush for a deal. In a briefing, Trump told Axios that he was considering a “massive strike”. The strike, according to Trump, would be larger than previous ones and Iran “hasn’t suffered enough pain yet”. On Thursday night, CENTCOM completed its 13th attack, targeting Iran’s military command centres, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities. CENTCOM also claimed that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and that more than 50,000 US troops are operating in the Middle East.