US Ceasefire Proposal Flatly Rejected by Iran
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TEHERAN – Iran on Wednesday (25/3/2026) rejected the United States’ (US) plan to temporarily halt the war while continuing attacks on Israel and Gulf countries. One such attack targeted an oil depot at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire.
Iran’s firm rejection of the US ceasefire proposal coincided with Israeli airstrikes on Tehran, while the US deployed air force and marine troops to the Middle East region. In an interview with Iranian television reported by the Associated Press, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his government was not involved in talks to end the war, “and we are not planning any negotiations.”
Araghchi’s statement came shortly after a newsreader on an Iranian TV station quoted an official source saying that Iran had rejected the US ceasefire proposal. According to the TV presenter, Iran has its own demands for ending the war.
Earlier, two Pakistani officials who relayed the US proposal to Iran described its 15 points, which included lifting sanctions, eliminating the nuclear programme, restricting the missile programme, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, an Egyptian official involved in mediation efforts said the US proposal also demanded that Iran limit its support for armed groups in the region.
In a separate statement, White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt affirmed that the US and Iran were in the process of negotiations despite Tehran’s denials. “Negotiations are ongoing. Productive, as the President said on Monday, and the talks will continue,” Leavitt stated.
Leavitt also warned that if the negotiation process did not yield an agreement, President Donald Trump “will ensure they are hit harder than ever before.”
Several points in the US proposal are certain to be rejected by Iran, referring to previous negotiations before the war broke out. Iran is known to have firmly refused to discuss its ballistic missile programme and support for militant groups in the region, which Tehran regards as key to the country’s national security.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Iran now views its ability to control passage through it as the country’s greatest strategic advantage. Iran’s attacks on energy infrastructure in the region, combined with restrictions on Strait of Hormuz passage, have triggered a surge in oil prices, pressuring the US to seek a way out to calm global markets.