Iran has 'formulated its response' to ceasefire proposals
· RTE.ieIran has formulated its positions and demands in response to recent ceasefire proposals conveyed via intermediaries, a foreign ministry spokesperson has said, adding that negotiations were "incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes."
Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had a set of requirements based on its national interests that had already been conveyed via intermediary channels, adding that earlier US demands such as the 15-point plan were rejected for being "excessive."
"Iran does not hesitate to clearly express what it considers its legitimate demands and doing so should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions," Mr Baghaei said in a press conference.
"We have formulated our own responses" and will announce details in due time, he added in response to an Iranian journalist's question regarding ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Iran and the US.
Meanwhile, Fresh aerial strikes were reported in Tehran, more than five weeks since the US and Israel began pounding Iran in a war that has killed thousands and damaged economies by boosting oil prices.
US President Donald Trump threatened to rain "hell" on Iran if it did not make a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has effectively closed the Hormuz waterway, a conduit for around a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supply and attacked US military bases and other targets around the Gulf.
Explosions shook Tehran this morning and a US-Israeli strike on a residential building south of the city killed at least 13 people, an official told Iranian state media. Reuters was unable to verify the report.
In a post laden with expletives on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump yesterday threatened further strikes on Iranian energy and transport infrastructure that critics say would constitute a war crime.
"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran," he said.
"There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F**kin' Strait, you crazy b**tards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP"
In the kind of mixed messaging that has baffled supporters, foes and financial markets alike, Mr Trump told Fox News yesterday that Iran was negotiating, with a deal possible by today.
Later yesterday, Axios reported the US, Iran and regional mediators are discussing terms of a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, citing four US, Israeli and regional sources with knowledge of the talks.
The mediators were negotiating a two-phased deal, the report said.
The first phase would be a 45-day ceasefire; the second would be an agreement on ending the war.
Iran condemns 'reckless' US, hits Gulf
Tehran is demanding an end to hostilities and its parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf condemned Mr Trump's threats, saying he was being misled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu's commands," he posted yesterday on X.
Showing it still had fight despite the US-Israeli pounding, Iran expanded attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, launching drone and missile strikes on petrochemical facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The Revolutionary Guards also said yesterday they hit an Israeli‑linked vessel at Dubai's Jebel Ali port.
In Kuwait, drones sparked fires and caused "severe material damage" at petrochemical plants operated by affiliates of state oil firm Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the company said.
The strikes underscored Iran’s ability to sustain cross‑border attacks and disrupt infrastructure across multiple Gulf states, exposing vulnerabilities in energy and maritime hubs.
In Israel too, media showed search-and-rescue teams combing debris in the northern city of Haifa yesterday after an Iranian missile hit a residential building.
Israeli paramedics said nine people were being treated, and Israeli media later reported rescuers had recovered two dead from the rubble.
Commando operation
Mr Trump announced the rescue of the airman in the early hours of yesterday, describing the operation as "one of the most daring" such missions in US history.
The airman, the weapons officer of an F-15 jet shot down on Friday, was wounded but "will be just fine", Mr Trump said in a message on X.
The jet's pilot was rescued earlier.
Under cover of darkness, US commandos slipped deep into Iran, undetected, scaled a 2,100m ridge and took the stranded airman to safety before dawn.
Two MC-130 aircraft that had ferried some of the roughly 100 special operations forces into rugged terrain south of Tehran suffered a mechanical failure and could not take off, a US official told Reuters.
Their commanders made a high-risk decision, ordering additional aircraft to fly into Iran to extract the group in waves.
The rescue force was pulled out in stages, and US troops destroyed the disabled MC‑130s and four additional helicopters inside Iran rather than risk leaving sensitive equipment behind.
Iran said several US aircraft were destroyed during the operation.
Israeli airstrikes killed another 11 people in Lebanon yesterday, according to Lebanon's health ministry.