US, Iran deny report about rejected ceasefire proposal

The United States and Iran Friday denied a report from the New York Times claiming Iran rejected a ceasefire proposal from US President Donald Trump that was conveyed to Tehran by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

The New York Times story quoted unnamed Iranian and Iraqi officials as saying the failed mediation effort came as Trump was threatening to escalate the war and target Iran's critical infrastructure.

According to the report, the details of the ceasefire proposal were not immediately clear. But Iranian officials said that their government was not interested in a temporary deal that left the question of control over the Strait of Hormuz unresolved.

Shortly after the report surfaced, Iran's official state news agency, IRNA, dismissed the claim, calling it "diverting and misleading."

Iraq on Friday also dismissed the media report as "entirely unfounded," saying it "bears no relation to reality," according to a statement by al-Zaidi's media office.

Meanwhile, a US official also rejected the report, saying that the story was "inaccurate."

In a separate development on the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi

Iran would not yield to US pressure and would not accept threats, coercion, or force. He reiterated Tehran's commitment to safeguarding the interests of the Iranian people and its rights concerning the Strait of Hormuz.