Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Proposal, Conflict Enters Day 145
Iran has rejected a US ceasefire proposal conveyed by Iraqi leaders.
The proposal was made after meetings between Iraqi officials and the US, with Iran's foreign minister criticizing the US position as "illogical and greedy," and demanding a resolution to the control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict has now entered its 145th day, with the rejection prolonging the negotiation deadlock, increasing risks to energy routes, benefiting arms and safe-haven funding, and putting regional stability under pressure.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Since the outbreak of war on February 28, 2026, Iran has repeatedly rejected temporary ceasefires, having previously accepted a two-week truce that collapsed over issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions. Foreign Minister Araghchi has repeatedly emphasized the rejection of short-term agreements that involve unbounded concessions.
In terms of capital and resource pathways, Iran is attempting to bind the ceasefire to the lifting of sanctions and asset unfreezing by insisting on control over the Strait and a comprehensive end to regional conflicts. Meanwhile, it maintains asymmetric pressure through its network of proxies, forcing the US to weigh energy security against military costs.
Similar cases can be seen in the repeated breakdown of ceasefires in Gaza in 2023-2024, the deadlock in negotiations between Yemen's Houthis and the US and Saudi Arabia, as well as the disputes over the implementation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal; the current US-Iran conflict is in a phase of limited airstrikes and maritime blockades.
Essentially, this is about the transfer of pricing power: the right of passage through the Strait of Hormuz has become a core bargaining chip, with the mechanism being that the geographical monopoly of this energy choke point allows Iran to exchange limited military investment for negotiation leverage, thereby delaying the pace of unilateral military solutions from the US.
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