In its response to mediator Pakistan, Iran on Monday rejected the US ceasefire proposal and sought permanent end to the ongoing conflict.
In its 10-clause response, Iran sought a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran also pushed for removal of sanctions and help with reconstruction.
"We won’t merely accept a ceasefire," Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press on Monday. "We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again."
US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened to hit Iran's critical infrastructure hard if the country's government doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline. Trump said the war is about one thing – Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. He also said that Tuesday deadline he has set for Iran to make a deal is final, adding that Iran's proposal was significant but not good enough.
Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the peace process in ongoing. "There have been several reports of a 45-day ceasefire offer, or 15-point exchange. We do not comment on these individual, specific incidents," he said, according to the state-run Pakistan TV.
