Iran rejects temporary ceasefire, as Trump sets deadline for reopening Strait of Hormuz
By Kevin Liptak and Aileen Graef CNN NEWS
Trump and Iran have traded threats over the vital shipping route. Meanwhile, Israel says it has killed two senior Iranian officials.
Here’s the latest
• Ceasefire proposal: US President Donald Trump has not signed off on a proposal drafted by countries calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a White House official said. Iran has rejected a temporary ceasefire and said it has formulated a response to the US’ demands to end the war.
• Trump’s deadline: Trump appeared to set a Tuesday deadline for Iran to reopen the strait. Iran says the consequences of infrastructure attacks will stretch beyond the region. Trump will hold a news conference today on the rescue of an F-15 crew member whose jet was downed over Iran.
• Iranian officials killed: Israel says it killed two senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps officials in separate strikes today.
• Latest strikes: Israel said it struck a petrochemical complex in southwestern Iran. Six children were among those killed in overnight Israeli-US strikes on Tehran, according to state media, and four people were killed in an Iranian strike on a residential building in Haifa, Israel.
Countries working to end the war in Iran have drafted a proposal calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as US President Donald Trump threatens to dramatically escalate the conflict, a person familiar with the proposal said.
The plan was sent to the United States and Iran late on Sunday and is viewed as a last-ditch effort to stave off the massive strikes on Iranian power plants and other infrastructure that Trump has threatened if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.
A White House official said Trump had not signed off on the proposal.
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“This is one of many ideas,” the official said, adding the US military operation in Iran was continuing apace. The president is expected to address the war today at a 1 p.m. ET news conference at the White House.
Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey have all been acting as mediators between the two warring countries but indirect talks stalled last week and work toward an in-person meeting appeared to end.
The latest proposal was sent to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The hope is the 45-day ceasefire window would allow for negotiations to permanently end the conflict.
Already, Iran appeared to reject any temporary ceasefire, saying it would allow adversaries to pause and prepare for the continuation of the war.
Still, mediators hope the plan can be enacted before Trump’s deadline of 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. Axios first reported on the emerging ceasefire proposal.
Strikes near Iranian power plant could cause “severe” radiological accident, IAEA says
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Monday that ongoing military activity near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant could cause a “severe radiological accident” with potential consequences beyond the country’s borders.
On Sunday, a projectile hit an area near the power plant – often referred to as BNPP – marking the fourth time the site has been targeted since the war began, according to Iranian state media agency Tasnim.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that “continued military activity near the BNPP – an operating plant with large amounts of nuclear fuel – could cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond,” the IAEA posted on X.
Based on independent analysis, the IAEA confirmed that strikes had recently hit close to the plant, including one just 75 metres from the site’s perimeter. The agency said the power plant itself had not been damaged.
