"Iran Rejects Trump's 'Ceasefire Proposal' Delivered via Iraqi Prime Minister"

Prime Minister Al-Zaidi Visits Tehran

U.S. President Donald Trump conveyed a ceasefire proposal to Iran through Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, but Iran rejected it, The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 23rd (local time). While President Trump has been escalating pressure on Iran, this difficult attempt at mediation appears to have ultimately failed.

On the 17th (local time), pro-government protesters in Iran. Photo by AP Yonhap News

NYT cited Iranian and Iraqi officials, who requested anonymity, as sources for the report. They stated that Prime Minister Al-Zaidi's visit to Iran took place after a recent summit with President Trump at the White House. The specific details of the ceasefire plan were not released. However, an Iranian official commented that this was the only proposal currently on the negotiating table, but reaffirmed that Iran was not interested in a temporary ceasefire without a resolution on control over the Strait of Hormuz issue.

Prime Minister Al-Zaidi's visit to Iran became known through reports from local media outlets. He traveled to Tehran with a high-level Iraqi delegation and held meetings with President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's top negotiator Brigadier General Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

In an interview with state television, Foreign Minister Araghchi said that Iran and Iraq share close economic, political, and security interests, and that the current situation in the Middle East gives this visit significant meaning. He also mentioned that Prime Minister Al-Zaidi conveyed his "views and impressions" from his visit to Washington, D.C., but added, "There are already enough mediators between Tehran and Washington. The problem is not the delivery of messages, but the perspective of the United States. The U.S. is illogical, greedy, and domineering," he criticized.

The United States and Iran continue to engage in military conflict. As of the article's publication date, the U.S. had struck Iran for 13 consecutive days. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had completed a night airstrike lasting about two hours and fifteen minutes from 6:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The United States carried out airstrikes not only on military bases but also on infrastructure targets such as railroads, airports, bridges, and ports. In response, Iran is targeting U.S. military bases in the Middle East using ballistic missiles and drone attacks.

Two senior Iranian officials told NYT that President Trump might make good on threats to attack Tehran and major infrastructure, so the Iranian military is preparing scenarios to escalate the conflict. They noted that if the United States proceeds with an actual attack, Iran plans to expand the fronts across the Middle East, strike Tel Aviv, and request that the pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in Yemen blockade the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.