(Photo credit: Iranian Presidency Office via AP)The Cradle
JUL 24, 2026
Tehran says the proposal left the issue of its control of the Strait of Hormuz ‘unresolved’
Iranian officials have rejected a US ceasefire proposal personally delivered to Tehran by the Iraqi prime minister, the New York Times (NYT) reported on 24 July, citing Iranian and Iraqi officials.
US President Donald Trump gave the proposal to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during their meeting at the White House earlier this month.
Tehran reportedly rejected the proposal on Friday after Washington completed its 12th straight night of bombing Iran.
According to the NYT report, Iranian and Iraqi officials did not reveal details of the ceasefire proposal. However, Iranian negotiators rejected the proposal because Tehran is “not interested in a temporary deal that left the question of control over the Strait of Hormuz unresolved,” the NYT wrote.
In contrast, the Iraqi prime minister’s office rejected the NYT report alleging that Iran turned down the ceasefire proposal, saying it was “entirely unfounded” and had “no relation to reality.”
While in Tehran, Zaidi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; Iran’s lead negotiator and Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf; and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Zaidi was appointed Iraqi prime minister in May with the blessing of President Trump. However, his political coalition, the Coordination Framework (CF), also enjoys close relations with Iran, which has exerted strong influence in Iraqi politics since the US invasion in 2003.
Foreign Minister Araghchi told state television that Zaidi had shared his “views and impressions” from his meeting with Trump.
Araghchi stressed that no additional mediators are needed, as Pakistan is currently engaged in this role.
“The problem is not passing messages,” he said. “The problem is America’s outlook, which is illogical, greedy and controlling.”
Two Iranian officials told NYT that the Islamic Republic’s forces are preparing for Trump to move ahead with his threats to escalate the war, including by striking the capital and additional civilian infrastructure.
In response, Iran is prepared to escalate the fight by striking Tel Aviv, and asking its allies in Yemen, the Ansarallah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), to close the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea.
Iranian negotiators are skeptical of US peace proposals, as Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly initiated surprise wars on Iran amid seemingly productive negotiations.
The US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February while Washington and Tehran were engaged in an active Omani-mediated negotiating process in Geneva.
An Omani mediator described the talks as “positive” shortly before the US and Israel launched their bombing campaign against Iran.
Similarly, in June 2025, Israel launched its 12-day war on the Islamic Republic amid an ongoing US–Iran diplomatic process.
A sixth round of nuclear talks was canceled following Israel’s attack on the country. The US joined the war days later, bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
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Via https://thecradle.co/articles/iran-rejects-us-ceasefire-proposal-delivered-by-iraqi-pm-report
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