Iran reportedly rejected a new cease-fire deal Thursday that was presented by Iraq’s prime minister on behalf of President Trump.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi – fresh off a White House visit and Oval Office meeting with Trump – brought the proposed deal with him to Tehran and presented it to top Iranian officials, who refused to entertain the proposal, according to the New York Times.
The terms of the rejected truce are unclear, but Iranian officials described it as the “only offer on the table” and a “temporary deal” that did not resolve the question of who would control the Strait of Hormuz, the outlet reported.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Tehran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were among those who met with al-Zaidi and Iraq’s delegation.
On state-run TV, Araghchi said al-Zaidi shared his “views and impressions” from his trip to Washington, but argued that adding another mediator to the mix wasn’t necessary.
“The problem is not passing messages,” Araghchi said, according to the Times. “The problem is America’s outlook, which is illogical, greedy and controlling.”
The rejection of the cease-fire deal comes as US forces conducted airstrikes on Iran for a 13th straight night and Trump weighs launching a “massive attack” to pressure the regime back to the negotiating table.
“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than anything we have ever had before. I am close to making a decision. We are fully prepared for it,” the president told Israel’s Channel 12 on Thursday.
He added that Israel would join the US in the operation “in two minutes” if he asked, but clarified that “we don’t need anybody” to launch the potential escalation.
Meanwhile, US airstrikes Thursday targeted Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities “to further diminish the threat Iran poses to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” according to US Central Command.
“The international waterway remains open for transit despite recent attacks from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the combatant command wrote on X. “Commercial vessels continue to freely navigate the strait with US military support.”
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
