TEHRAN, Iran – Iran has said it has been approached via mediators to end a new bout of fighting with the United States.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran has received “proposals” to end renewed fighting between Iran and the US. He did not disclose details of the new offer or whether they involved a 10-day truce, as reported by US media.
“Proposals have been raised through mediators and have been passed over to us,” he told reporters during a press conference in Tehran. Baghaei said that diplomatic efforts are coming in lockstep with those of armed forces after recent political divisions between hardliners and more moderate factions.
He also urged regional countries not to allow the US military to use their territory to launch or facilitate attacks on Iranian soil in continuation of the US-Israel war on Iran that began on February 28.
This comes after a recent flare-up between Tehran and Washington, with bridges, roads, and military sites targeted in Iran. Iran has carried out its own attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and other Arab countries, including on civilian infrastructure, claiming to target US forces in these countries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington “always remains open to diplomatic solutions”. But he added that Iran’s missile and drone strikes, which have killed three American service members over the past week, are an impediment to diplomacy.
Rubio also claimed that a “split” has emerged among Iranian officials, with one faction wanting to continue war against the US and others seeking negotiations. Iran’s chief negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, hit back at Rubio on Monday, saying that despite the US claiming it seeks an end to the fighting, it continues to import military equipment to the region.
“We have reached the level of a full professor on recognising these American games, and we’ve prepared ourselves on that basis. Actions must confirm claims, not contradict them,” Ghalibaf wrote on X on Monday.
The US launched a ninth consecutive day of strikes on Iran overnight, extending beyond the Strait of Hormuz region, to areas such as Tabriz in northwest Iran. On Sunday, the US military hit a civilian nuclear power plant under construction in Darkhovin, which Iran said had no military objective.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the conventional army have continued attacks on US military targets. The IRGC released a video showing Kheibar Shekan, Fateh-110, Zolfaghar and Emad ballistic missiles being used in the latest strikes.
Tankers and other commercial ships have also been struck in the Strait of Hormuz. A US naval blockade on Iran’s southern ports continues. The systematic US bombing of southern Iran has led to speculation that US forces may be preparing for a potential ground offensive in this region.
Baghaei warned on Monday that it was “counting down the minutes to welcome” US soldiers. This includes any potential attack on the strategically important Kharg Island, from where Iran exports almost all of its crude oil.
Few believe that such a military endeavour by the US would be feasible, let alone holding the ground while Iran maintains a formidable arsenal of drones and missiles. “It is very unlikely that they would be able to seize a place without much hardship, and then holding it would be another matter entirely,” a state television host said.
A number of Iranian officials continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the US last month, which has now been suspended by both sides. President Masoud Pezeshkian defended the MoU by saying none of its 14 articles signalled a retreat from the principles of the Islamic Republic or national interests.
There appears to be no immediate end to the conflict, and Iranian commanders said their tactic to avoid future US aggression, via their own attacks, is working. “Wisdom dictates that war continues until it leads to full deterrence for the Iranian nation,” Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said.
Source: www.aljazeera.com