Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Offer Delivered via Iraqi PM

The New York Times reported on Friday that Iran has turned down a United States offer for a ceasefire, which was conveyed by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi during his recent trip to Washington.

According to the newspaper, limited details are available regarding both the rejected proposal and the objective behind the recent round of strikes, yet both developments suggest that an end to the US attacks and Iranian assaults is not imminent.

The report emphasized that neither the US nor Iran has shown significant willingness to return to negotiations; officials from both sides have recently pledged to respond to each other's attacks with new strikes, aiming to outlast the other.

On Thursday, President Trump warned that the United States would hold Iran directly responsible for any further attacks by the Houthis on maritime navigation. He threatened to impose "major military punishment" on both Tehran and the Houthis if attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea continue.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi visited Tehran on Thursday, shortly after meeting President Trump at the White House earlier that week.

Before his visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Al-Zaidi was delivering messages and viewpoints from Trump but stressed that Tehran is not seeking further mediation with the United States.

Two weeks after the effective collapse of a temporary truce intended to end the war, the US military launched a new series of daily airstrikes against Iran, prompting Tehran to carry out attacks on regional countries.

In the early hours of Friday, the US military conducted another round of air raids on Iran, marking the thirteenth consecutive night of such attacks. The US Central Command reported that the wave of strikes lasted over two hours.

President Trump told Axios he is considering launching large-scale combat operations in Iran again and is close to making a decision. He stated, "They have not felt enough pain yet."

Reuters sources in Iran and Yemen reported that Iran recently airlifted commanders from the Revolutionary Guard, military advisors, and equipment related to missiles and drones to Yemen, days before the Houthis declared their siege. The Houthis denied this report.

Iranian state television quoted military spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia as saying that Iran will continue to respond as long as the United States targets its infrastructure and coastal areas.