US ceasefire proposal via Iraq rejected by Tehran

Tehran has rejected a United States ceasefire proposal delivered through Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to The New York Times, citing Iranian and Iraqi officials.

According to the report, the mediation effort failed at a time when US President Donald Trump was threatening to expand the war and strike Iran’s critical infrastructure.

Ali al-Zaidi visited Tehran on Thursday. Earlier this month, he traveled to the White House and met with Trump. Officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not disclose details of the ceasefire proposal.

Iranian officials said it was ‘the only proposal on the negotiating table.’ However, Tehran is not interested in any temporary agreement that does not address the issue of control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the United States launched fresh strikes on Iranian military targets early Friday, marking the 13th consecutive night of active fighting in the region. At the same time, President Donald Trump announced that seized Iranian assets could be used, if necessary, to compensate for damage to maritime shipping.

Tehran described the threat to use seized Iranian assets to compensate for maritime shipping losses as ‘a provocative precedent.’ In a post on X on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “Confiscating a country’s assets to compensate for any future claims is a provocative precedent.”