Iran Rejects Pakistan-Mediated 45-day Ceasefire Proposal, Wants Permanent End of War

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Apr 6: Iran on Monday rejected a Pakistan-mediated temporary ceasefire proposal from the United States and instead sent back a 10-point peace proposal that call for permanent end of the war.

Iran has conveyed its response through Pakistan, according to Iran state media reports. Tehran made it clear that it was not willing to accept a temporary truce, instead insisting that any agreement must ensure a “permanent end to the war.”

The response comes ahead of a deadline set by US President Donald Trump, who has warned of possible strikes on Iranian energy and infrastructure if Tehran did not comply with key demands, including reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran conveyed its position to Washington through Pakistan on Monday. The response included demands for an end to all conflicts in the region, a protocol governing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions and a commitment to reconstruction, news agency IRNA reported. “Iran has conveyed to Pakistan its response to the American proposal to end the war,” the news agency IRNA said, without revealing its source or what the US offer contained. “In this response -– set out in ten points –- Iran… has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict.”

According to IRNA, the plan, presented by Tehran, outlines comprehensive measures to resolve the conflict, including the cessation of regional hostilities, ensuring secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz, facilitating reconstruction efforts, and the lifting of international sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Iran won’t reopen ‌the Strait of Hormuz ⁠in exchange for a “temporary ceasefire,” ‌a senior Iranian official said ⁠on ⁠Monday adding that Tehran viewed Washington as ‌lacking the readiness for a permanent ceasefire. The ‌official confirmed Iran had received Pakistan’s ⁠proposal for an immediate ‌ceasefire and was reviewing it, adding that Tehran ‌did not accept being pressured to ⁠accept deadlines and make ⁠a decision.

“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, said on Monday. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”

Several countries are trying to find a diplomatic solution to end 38 days of war sparked by Israeli and US attacks against Iran, which has responded by firing missiles at targets across West Asia.

Trump warned on Sunday that unless Tehran agreed by Tuesday evening to allow free passage to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, he would order strikes on its power plants and bridges. But IRNA said Tehran had countered with demands of its own, including “an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, reconstruction, and the lifting of sanctions.”

The US President Donald Trump had earlier said Washington had reviewed a proposal for a 45-day ceasefire, describing it as a step forward, though not sufficient. “It’s a significant proposal, it’s a significant step. It’s not good enough, but it’s a very significant step,” he told reporters at the White House. He added that intermediaries were continuing discussions.

He added that he was upset with the Iranian government and that they were going to pay a big price for it.

“The first regime was taken out, the second regime was taken out. Now the third group of people that we’re dealing with is not as radicalised, and we think they’re actually much smarter,” Trump said.

On Sunday, President Trump used his social media platform, Truth Social, to issue an ultimatum to Iran. He set a deadline of “Tuesday, 8.00 pm Eastern Time” for the country to open the Strait of Hormuz. In another expletive-laden post, the president threatened to target Iran’s energy infrastructure if the waterway remains closed.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump wrote. The president repeated this warning on Monday. Trump has made similar statements in the past, often extending deadlines even as mediators reported potential progress toward ending the conflict on mutually agreeable terms.