Mediators from Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan are pushing for a meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials, but Tehran has displayed defiance over the possibility of diplomacy and both sides remain far apart.
The U.S. sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war, which centers largely around previous Trump administration demands of Tehran. Iran’s military spokesman suggested the U.S. was negotiating with itself to get out of a “strategic defeat.” Iran’s state-run Press TV cited an official who said that the country wants reparations and recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Gulf Arab states are growing alarmed by Trump’s eagerness to do a deal. The leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are lobbying Trump to stick with the war until Iran is sufficiently weakened that it won’t pose a threat.
Separately, authorities suspect Iran recruited individuals online for terror attacks in Europe, and set up a bogus terror group to claim responsibility for attacks on Jewish schools, synagogues and companies linked to Israel.
Oil prices fell, with Brent crude, the global benchmark, dipping to roughly $96 a barrel.
Iraq said it planned to lodge a protest with the U.S. after a strike on a military clinic that Baghdad said killed seven soldiers. The U.S. military said the incident was being looked into.
Israel said it completed waves of airstrikes targeting regime-linked infrastructure in Tehran. An Iranian missile landed near Israel’s largest power station.
Gulf countries said they were targeted by drone and missile attacks, including a strike on Kuwait’s international airport.
The Senate rejected a third attempt this month to limit Trump’s military campaign in Iran.
Iran Rejects U.S. Proposal to End the War, Wants Reparations and Control of Hormuz
“Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met,” Press TV quoted the official as saying. “No negotiations will be held prior to that.”
Tehran “responded negatively” to the U.S. proposal to end the war, the official said, calling it “a ploy to heighten tensions. The official also said the U.S. proposal was “disconnected from the reality of America’s failure on the battlefield.”
File photo: A freighter in the Strait of Hormuz, guarded by a warship
Iran is demanding an end to attacks by the U.S. and Israel as well as concrete guarantees preventing the recurrence of the war, Press TV quoted the official as saying. The country also wants recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and financial compensation for damages caused by the weekslong conflict. Tehran also wants Israel and the U.S. to stop attacks on its allies across the region, the official said.
In a proposal communicated through Pakistan, the U.S. offered to end the war if Iran dismantled its main nuclear facilities, stopped uranium enrichment and support for regional allies and reopened the strait to shipping traffic. In exchange, Washington said all sanctions on Iran could be lifted.
