President Donald Trump has not approved a proposal drafted by several nations calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has stated that it has prepared a response to the US’s demands to end the war and has rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire.
The plan, sent to both Iran and the United States late Sunday, is seen as an urgent attempt to prevent Trump from carrying out threats of massive strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including power plants, if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. A White House official confirmed that Trump has not approved the proposal, noting that it is “one of many ideas” and that US military operations in Iran continue.
The president is expected to address the conflict at a news conference today at 1 p.m. ET in the White House. Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey have been mediating between the two countries, but indirect negotiations stalled last week, and hopes for a face-to-face meeting appear to have ended.
The most recent proposal was forwarded to US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Mediators hope that a 45-day ceasefire could provide a window to negotiate a permanent resolution. However, Iran appears opposed to any short-term pause, arguing that it would give its enemies time to regroup and resume hostilities. Despite this, mediators remain optimistic that the plan could be implemented before Trump’s Tuesday 8 p.m. ET deadline. The ceasefire proposal was first reported by Axios.
As the war enters its sixth week and Iranian retaliation continues, Israel has announced plans to accelerate production of Arrow missile interceptors. The Arrow system, the top tier of Israel’s multi-layered missile defense, is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles both in the upper atmosphere and beyond. Iran has used such missiles extensively in the current conflict as well as during the June 12-day war against Israel.
The defense ministry said that the procurement plan, approved by a ministerial committee and proposed by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Ministry Director General Amir Baraam, would enable a substantial increase in both the production rate and total number of interceptors through a new agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries. This move comes after rumors that Israel’s stockpiles were under strain. Katz emphasized that Israel currently has sufficient interceptors to protect its citizens, and the increase is intended to maintain operational readiness.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has stressed that any ceasefire must address Gulf Arab states’ security concerns and prevent further instability in the region. UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash told CNN that Abu Dhabi seeks an end to the conflict, but not at the cost of continuous regional instability. He said any agreement must cover Tehran’s nuclear program as well as ongoing missile and drone attacks.
Gargash added that a non-belligerence agreement must apply universally, not only limiting US and Israeli actions against Iran, but also curbing Iran’s aggression toward its neighbors. He warned that Iran’s attacks could further cement US and Israeli influence in the Gulf rather than reducing it.
A key Iranian demand to halt the conflict is the closure of US bases in the region, which Tehran claims are used to stage attacks against it.
