Iran rejects US proposed truce plan as ‘very excessive, unrealistic’

Tehran: The recent truce plan proposed by the United States contains “very excessive, unrealistic and unreasonable” demands, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.

The spokesman made the remarks at a press conference in Tehran while elaborating on the US-proposed 15-point plan delivered to Iran via intermediaries to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Unlike the United States, “which constantly changes its positions, and whose officials make and demonstrate contradictory remarks and behaviours”, Iran’s stance towards relevant issues has been completely clear from the beginning, Baghaei said, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“We know very well what our desired framework is. As I mentioned earlier, the materials that have been conveyed to us under various titles, such as the ’15-point plan’ mainly include very excessive, unrealistic, and unreasonable demands.”

Baghaei stressed that “up to this moment, we have had no direct negotiation with the United States.” He noted that since the last round of negotiations with the United States in Geneva on February 26, Iran has received messages through certain intermediaries, including Pakistan, which contained the US willingness and request for negotiations.

Noting Iran has not participated in meetings held by Pakistan with the participation of neighbouring states, he said the country will announce its conclusion about the plan through an appropriate way in due course.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Monday warned that the United States could strike Iran’s key energy infrastructure if a deal is not reached soon and the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened, even as he said talks were making progress.​

Trump said the United States is in “serious discussions” with what he described as a “new, and more reasonable, regime” in Iran to end ongoing military operations.​

“Great progress has been made,” he said, adding that a deal would “probably” be reached shortly.​

However, he issued a strong warning if negotiations fail.​

“If for any reason a deal is not shortly reached… and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will… completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island,” Trump said. He added that “possibly all desalination plants” could also be targeted.​

Trump said these facilities had not been purposefully touched and described the potential action as retribution “for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47-year Reign of Terror”.

IANS