A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that mediators had presented Tehran with a proposal for a 10-day ceasefire aimed at reducing tensions with the United States and creating an opportunity to revive the interim agreement reached between the two sides last month.
The proposal comes amid an intensifying military confrontation between Washington and Tehran, marked by continued US strikes and expanding Iranian retaliatory attacks.
According to CNN, the escalation has raised questions within Washington over the objectives of US President Donald Trump’s military campaign and how the conflict might be brought to an end. The broadcaster also reported that the US administration faces growing military and political challenges, including continued Iranian threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, rising US military casualties, and concerns that the conflict could widen across the region.
READ: Iran says Hormuz remains closed, warns of ‘major military operation’
On Monday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted US military sites across the Middle East following another night of US airstrikes on Iranian cities. The exchange of attacks has further strained a temporary ceasefire arrangement between the two sides.
According to Reuters, oil prices briefly rose above $90 per barrel after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted again.
President Trump defended the latest US strikes, describing them as retaliation for the deaths of American service members, despite growing domestic political pressure over rising fuel prices.
The conflict has also expanded to include attacks on desalination facilities, raising concerns over potential water shortages in parts of the Gulf and increasing fears that civilian infrastructure is becoming a growing target in the hostilities.
Despite the continued exchange of strikes, both Tehran and Washington have separately indicated their willingness to return to negotiations, although no new talks have been announced.
READ: Hebrew media: Trump considering wide-ranging military plan against Iran
