Iran Rejects Ceasefire Proposal as Trump Deadline Looms

Iran on Monday dismissed a new proposal for a temporary ceasefire, saying it will only consider a permanent conclusion to the conflict as President Trump’s deadline approached.

According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Tehran delivered its response through Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator. Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, who leads Iran’s diplomatic mission in Cairo, said the country is not interested in a short pause in the fighting.

“We will not simply accept a ceasefire,” Ferdousi Pour told the Associated Press. “What we will accept is a complete end to the war, along with guarantees that Iran will not face further attacks.”

President Trump has demanded that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. He warned that if the waterway remains closed, Iranian infrastructure—including power plants and bridges—could become targets. Ferdousi Pour said Iranian officials are working with Oman to develop a system to manage shipping through the strategic passage.

The rejection of the ceasefire proposal came as Israel launched new strikes inside Iran. Israeli forces targeted a major petrochemical facility within the vast South Pars natural gas field and reported killing two senior commanders in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Israeli officials said the strike on South Pars was intended to damage a significant source of income for Iran. The field is also vital for the country’s electricity production. Israeli authorities indicated the operation was separate from President Trump’s warning about potential U.S. attacks on power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by 8 p.m. Monday night Washington time.

The White House had not issued an immediate response. President Trump was scheduled to speak with reporters later Monday afternoon, marking his first public appearance since Wednesday. He has largely remained out of the spotlight during efforts to recover U.S. aviators who were shot down over Iran.

Earlier this year, following an Israeli strike on South Pars in March, President Trump said Israel would not carry out another attack on the facility. However, he warned that if Iran continued targeting energy infrastructure in Qatar, the United States would respond by “massively” destroying the gas field.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said communication with mediators is ongoing. At the same time, he criticized the pressure campaign surrounding the talks, stating that negotiations cannot proceed under ultimatums or threats.

While diplomatic contacts continued, fighting intensified. Explosions were reported across Tehran, and low-flying aircraft could be heard over the city for several hours.

Iranian state media and Israel’s defense minister confirmed that Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, the head of intelligence for the Revolutionary Guard, was among those killed in the strikes. Israel also reported killing Asghar Bakeri, who led an undercover unit within the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force.

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