Iran's defiance came as Israel launched airstrikes on Tehran and as the United States seemed ready to deploy paratroopers and more Marines to the region.
Iranian state television’s English-language broadcaster quoted an anonymous official as saying Iran rejected America’s ceasefire proposal and has its own demands for an end to the fighting. “Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met,” the hardliner-controlled Press TV quoted the official as saying.
Earlier, two officials from Pakistan, which transmitted the U.S. plan to Iran, described the 15-point proposal broadly, saying it addressed sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, limits on missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped.
An Egyptian official involved in the mediation efforts said the proposal also includes restrictions on Iran’s support for armed groups. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet released.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted the U.S. and Iran are in ongoing talks even as Iranian officials deny it. “Talks continue. They are productive, as the president said on Monday, and they continue to be,” Leavitt said at a White House briefing on Wednesday.
Leavitt warned that if talks with Iran don't pan out President Donald Trump “will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before.”
Mediators are pushing for possible in-person talks between the Iranians and the Americans, perhaps as soon as Friday in Pakistan, the Egyptian and Pakistani officials said.
More US troops are on the way to the Middle East
At least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division will be sent to the Mideast in the coming days, three people with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.
The paratroopers are trained to jump into hostile or contested areas to secure key territory and airfields.
The Pentagon is also in the process of sending about 5,000 more Marines, trained in amphibious assaults, and thousands of sailors to the region.
Israel launches new strikes on Iran — and also comes under attack
The Israeli military said Wednesday afternoon it had completed several waves of airstrikes in Tehran. The army also said that as part of its strikes a day earlier it targeted an Iranian submarine development center in Isfahan.
Missile alert sirens sounded multiple times in Israel as Iran and the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah launched attacks. Iran-backed Hezbollah has fired rockets into northern Israel around the clock since the war began, disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
Iran also kept up the pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors. Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it had destroyed at least eight drones in its oil-rich Eastern Province, and missile alert sirens sounded in Bahrain. Kuwait said it shot down multiple drones but that one hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport.
