Iran rejects US ceasefire proposal via Iraqi PM

JAKARTA - Iran rejected the proposal for a ceasefire by the United States, which was conveyed by Iraqi Prime Minister (PM) Ali al-Zaidi, according to a report by The New York Times, while the battle between the two countries is still ongoing for almost two weeks.

Citing Iranian and Iraqi officials familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported al-Zaidi made the proposal during a visit to Iran after meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The details of the proposal have not been disclosed. However, Iranian officials called it the only proposal currently being put forward by the US. Iran also rejected the proposal because it was considered not to solve the issue of control over the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Iranian media, al-Zaidi's visit to Tehran was his first official visit since becoming Iraqi prime minister last May.

As reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, July 24, besides meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, al-Zaidi also met with the Head of the Negotiation Team and Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Still according to the report, Iranian officials are preparing for the possibility of a wider conflict, if Trump actually carries out his threat to attack Iran and other important infrastructure.

Two Iranian officials told TheNewYorkTimes, as quoted by Anadolu, that such an attack would push Iran to expand the war to a regional level, including by targeting Tel Aviv.

Iran will also ask the Houthi group in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces launched attacks on Iran until the 13th night in a row on Friday morning.

Previously, Wednesday (22/7), Iranian authorities said the number of deaths from the ongoing US attack had reached 53 people, with 592 others injured.

Tensions in the region have been heating up for the past two weeks after Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire listed in the Islamabad MoU between the US and Iran was no longer in effect.

Since then, the US and Iran have launched attacks on each other. The US targeted a number of locations in Iran, while Iran said it had attacked US military facilities and equipment in several countries in the region.

The confrontation disrupted shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, threatened global energy supplies, and triggered periodic airspace closures.

In addition, warnings of attacks on US facilities and interests outside the Middle East region are also increasing.