Iran won’t accept U.S. effort at ceasefire in war, state media reports

Iran rejects US ceasefire push as strikes target Israel, state media says

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

Iran refused on Saturday to accept a United States proposal for a ceasefire in the escalating conflict, state broadcaster IRIB reported.

IRNA news agency quoted an unnamed senior official saying Washington’s diplomatic initiative “was dismissed immediately” after it reached Tehran through intermediaries.

The rejection came as Iran launched another wave of missile and drone strikes against Israeli military sites, according to the Revolutionary Guards.

IRIB said the attacks hit “strategic targets” in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights. Israel’s army reported intercepting “dozens” of projectiles.

The United States has led international calls for de-escalation since Iran began its assault on Thursday, Pentagon officials told reporters in Washington.

President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Friday, the White House said. The conversation focused on “limiting the conflict,” according to a readout.

Tehran’s stance hardened after Israeli warplanes struck Iranian military facilities in Syria on Wednesday, killing 17 Revolutionary Guards, Iranian state media reported.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s military adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi warned that Iran’s response “has only begun,” ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.

The Guards Corps said it fired 200 missiles at Israel in two days. Israeli authorities reported 3 civilians killed and 47 wounded.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters that Israel “will choose the timing and nature of our response.” He spoke after touring damaged air bases.

Russia and China joined the United States at the United Nations Security Council in urging restraint, diplomats said. The council scheduled an emergency session for Sunday.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell convened Arab and European ministers for talks in Brussels on Monday, his office announced.

Oil prices surged 8% to $95 per barrel, the highest level since October, as traders priced in potential supply disruptions. Brent crude futures rallied $7 in two days.

Major airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran. Lufthansa, Air France and Emirates said routes would remain cancelled “until further notice.”

Background

Iran and Israel have fought a shadow war across the Middle East for decades, using allied militias and covert operations. The conflict intensified after Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers collapsed, prompting Israel to accelerate strikes on Iranian assets in Syria.

Thursday’s Iranian assault marked the first direct missile attack on Israel from Iranian soil since the 1980s, military analysts said. Previous exchanges operated through proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

The United States maintains 45,000 troops across the region, including aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. American forces shot down Iranian drones heading toward Israel on Thursday, Central Command said.

What’s Next

Israel’s security cabinet meets on Sunday to approve response options, Netanyahu’s office said. Ministers will review military plans ranging from limited strikes to broader operations, Channel 12 television reported citing unnamed officials.

Arab diplomats told Reuters that Qatar and Oman continue shuttling messages between Washington and Tehran, seeking to prevent a wider war. Gulf states fear Iranian reprisals if they allow Israeli or American forces to use their territory, the diplomats said.

The Pentagon ordered the USS Eisenhower carrier group to remain in the Mediterranean beyond its scheduled departure next week, officials said. Additional Patriot missile batteries arrived in Israel from the United States on Saturday, the army confirmed.