Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Iran has rejected a renewed ceasefire proposal, insisting instead on a permanent end to hostilities as the conflict with Israel and the United States intensifies across multiple fronts. According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Tehran conveyed its response to Washington through Pakistani intermediaries, signaling that any temporary truce would be insufficient without binding guarantees against future attacks.
Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s diplomatic mission in Cairo, said Tehran’s position is rooted in long-term security concerns. He stated that Iran would only consider ending the war if assurances are provided that it would not face renewed military action. The demand reflects growing skepticism within Iranian leadership over short-term ceasefires, which officials argue merely delay further escalation.
The diplomatic impasse comes as U.S. President Donald Trump’s self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches. The strategic waterway, vital for global energy shipments, has become a focal point of the crisis. Trump warned that failure to comply would result in U.S. strikes targeting Iran’s power plants and critical infrastructure, a threat that Iranian officials have condemned as dangerous and destabilizing.
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed the warning as reckless, accusing Washington of escalating tensions rather than pursuing meaningful diplomacy. The White House has indicated that Trump is expected to address the situation publicly, raising concerns that further military action could be imminent.
On the battlefield, the conflict has taken a sharp turn. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Israeli forces struck the South Pars petrochemical complex in Asaluyeh, one of Iran’s most important energy facilities. The attack follows earlier strikes on similar infrastructure that triggered significant Iranian retaliation against oil and gas targets across Gulf Arab states, highlighting the widening scope of the war.
Meanwhile, targeted killings have further inflamed tensions. Iranian state media reported that Major General Majid Khademi, the head of intelligence for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in what Israel later claimed responsibility for. Israeli military sources also said they had eliminated Asghar Bakeri, a senior figure in the Quds Force responsible for covert overseas operations. These assassinations mark a significant escalation in Israel’s strategy, aiming to degrade Iran’s military leadership and operational capabilities.
The latest wave of coordinated strikes by Israel and the United States reportedly killed more than 25 people, according to regional sources. In response, Iran launched missile attacks not only toward Israel but also targeting locations in Gulf Arab countries, raising fears that the conflict could spiral into a broader regional war involving multiple states.
Analysts warn that the rejection of a ceasefire, combined with escalating military actions and hardening rhetoric on all sides, leaves little room for de-escalation. With critical infrastructure under attack, key military figures being targeted, and global energy routes under threat, the conflict is entering an increasingly volatile phase with potentially far-reaching consequences for regional stability and international markets.
