Kamal Ghorui
Iran said on Monday it has formulated its positions and demands in response to recent ceasefire proposals conveyed through intermediaries, while rejecting a temporary truce in the war with the United States and Israel.The remarks came amid reports of renewed diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting. Reuters reported Monday that Iran and the US had received a proposal to end hostilities that could take effect on Monday. Axios also reported that the US, Iran and regional mediators were discussing a possible 45-day ceasefire as part of a two-phase agreement aimed at ending the war permanently.Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had already conveyed its own requirements through intermediary channels and made clear that earlier US proposals had been rejected.Speaking at a press conference, Baghaei said earlier US demands, including a 15-point plan conveyed through Pakistan, were unacceptable.The proposal was “extremely excessive and unusual and illogical,” Baghaei said, adding that Iran has a “very bitter experience of negotiating with the US.”According to IRNA, Iran’s response consists of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting of sanctions and reconstruction. “Iran does not hesitate to clearly express what it considers its legitimate demands and doing so should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions,” Baghaei said.“We have formulated our own responses” and will announce details in due time, he added in response to an Iranian journalist’s question regarding ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Iran and the US.Baghaei said Iran was not opposed to ending the conflict but rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire, saying such a pause would allow its adversaries to regroup and prepare for further fighting.“We are calling for an end to the war and for preventing its recurrence,” Baghaei was cited as saying by Iran’s state news agency IRNA.He also said diplomacy could not proceed under military pressure.“Any diplomatic talks are ‘absolutely incompatible with ultimatums, crimes, and threats to commit war crimes,’” he said, referring to Donald Trump’s threat to bomb key Iranian infrastructure if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz.Separately, Iranian military officials said the country was prepared to continue the conflict for as long as political leaders considered necessary.“We can continue the war as long as the political authorities see fit,” army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia told ISNA news agency.He added that “the enemy must definitely regret it because, after this war, we need to reach a point of security and not witness another war”.In a separate warning, Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iran would escalate its response if attacks on civilian targets continue.According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Zolfaghari said that if such attacks are repeated, Iran’s retaliation would be on a much wider scale and losses would be “several times greater.”
