Iran Responds To US Peace Plan, As Fresh Drone Attacks Rattle Ceasefire

Iran responded to the US peace proposal on Sunday, insisting it would not surrender or retreat despite diplomatic efforts. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Tehran would never bow to its enemy, even as talks continued through Pakistani mediators. The response focused on ending the conflict on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon, where Israel’s war with Iran-backed Hezbollah persists, and ensuring secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the conflict would only end when Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles were removed and its nuclear facilities dismantled. He told CBS’s *60 Minutes* that the war was not over until these conditions were met. Iran has imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, disrupting global oil prices and financial markets. While Tehran introduced a payment system for ships passing through the strait, the US has called such control ‘unacceptable.’ The US Navy is blockading Iranian ports, while Britain and France are leading efforts to form an international coalition to secure the strait post-peace deal. Iran warned that any foreign deployment in the strait would trigger a ‘decisive and immediate response,’ with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stating only Iran could establish security there. French President Emmanuel Macron clarified that France had no plans for a naval deployment but aimed for a coordinated security mission with Iran. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani emphasized that freedom of navigation in the strait was non-negotiable, warning that closing it would worsen the crisis. Meanwhile, drone attacks in the Gulf escalated tensions, with the UAE reporting successful interception of two Iranian drones, Kuwait detecting hostile drones in its airspace, and Qatar confirming a freighter was struck by an unknown projectile off Mesaieed. The UK Maritime Trade Operations center confirmed the attack on the bulk carrier, though no further details were provided.