Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam said in a post on the social media site "X" that Pakistan's "positive and constructive" efforts to stop the war imposed on Iran by the US and Israel have reached a "decisive and critical" stage. Pakistan has proposed a two-stage ceasefire to the US and Iran, but Tehran has reiterated its conditions and red lines. Iran has repeatedly made it clear in the past that it rejects a temporary ceasefire and demands a permanent end to the war and guarantees that it will not resume.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei reminded of the same condition during his press conference on Monday. He said that any temporary ceasefire (including the 45-day ceasefire being discussed) would give the US side an opportunity for military preparation. According to him, "a temporary ceasefire means a short break for re-deployment and re-committing crimes, which no sane person will accept."
According to Reuters, a senior Iranian official has also confirmed that Tehran will not restore free movement of ships from the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a mere temporary ceasefire. Iran's second condition is related to the Strait of Hormuz, especially since US President Donald Trump has threatened several times in recent days that it is necessary to open it for navigation. However, Tehran is insisting on a "new situation" in the Strait of Hormuz after the end of the war and has hinted that it can be operated in collaboration with the Sultanate of Oman.
The Iranian news agency "Nour News" quoted an Iranian source as saying that a "security fee" would be demanded from all countries, without exception, to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. He said that even friendly countries would have to pay a security fee in exchange for a safe passage permit, and no country would be exempt. It is worth noting that the US President has given Tehran a deadline of Tuesday evening to reach an agreement, otherwise, he has also threatened to destroy bridges and energy facilities across Iran.
On the other hand, the White House has confirmed that the US is considering a 45-day ceasefire proposal presented by mediators, but Trump has not yet approved it. Iranian military spokesman Mohammad Akrami Nia has clarified, according to the ISNA news agency, that the armed forces will continue the war "as long as the political authorities deem it appropriate." He said that we can continue this war as long as the political authorities consider it necessary. He added that the enemy should certainly regret what it has done, because after this war, we have to create a situation where we do not see another war.
Meanwhile, Iranian official sources have revealed that Tehran has responded to the Pakistani proposal, which consists of 10 points. These points include the end of conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage from the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions, and reconstruction. On the one hand, Iranian authorities have called on young people to form a "human shield" around the country's power plants, while "Axios" quoted a US official as saying that the White House sees the Iranian response as a negotiating tactic rather than a rejection.
Sources say that mediators believe the decision-making process in Iran is slow, and they have informed Washington that they are working with the Iranians to amend the proposals. Previously, the US newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" quoted US officials as saying that President Trump appears less hopeful about a deal with Iran in private conversations. The Israeli newspaper "Maariv" wrote, citing Israeli sources, that according to Israeli estimates, Trump is not yet ready to end the war at any cost.
In this context, an Iranian official appealed to young people to form "human chains" around power plants before the US President's threatening attacks on Tuesday morning. On state television, Secretary of the Supreme Council for Youth, Ali Reza Rahimi, said in a video message, "I appeal to all young people, athletes, artists, and students to gather around the power plants on Tuesday at 2 pm, because they are our national assets that are above any political ideology and are related to Iran's future and its young people." In the past, Iran has formed such "human shields" around its nuclear facilities.
Amidst the tension and conflicting proposals, the parties' positions on the terms and timing of a ceasefire are divided. An Iranian source told CNN that Tehran wants to end the war, but it does not accept the "way or time" specified by President Trump. Recall that Iran has submitted its response to the ceasefire proposal to Pakistan. According to the Iranian state agency, the response emphasizes ending the war permanently instead of a ceasefire. The response consists of 10 points, including the end of regional conflicts, a protocol for safe passage from the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of sanctions, and reconstruction.
