Iran War Far From Over? US' Efforts To Reach Ceasefire Deal Hit Dead-End As Tehran Rejects Demands

The current round of efforts led by regional countries to mediate a ceasefire to end the war in West Asia has reached a dead end, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing mediators familiar with the matter.

The report suggests Iran has told mediators that it will not send officials to meet U.S. counterparts in Islamabad in the coming days, asserting the demands put forward by Washington are unacceptable.

Despite the setback, diplomatic efforts are continuing, with Turkey and Egypt attempting to re-ignite talks by exploring alternative locations, such as Doha and Istanbul, according to the WSJ report.

The United States and Iran have reportedly been in talks about a potential ceasefire in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical

maritime chokepoint that accounts for nearly one-fifth of the global oil and gas trade.

According to a report by Axios, U.S. President Donald Trump dialed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to talk about a possible ceasefire on Wednesday. In a post on Truth Social the same say, Trump claimed Iranian President wants a ceasefire, which will only happen when the strait is “open, free, and clear”.

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“We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are bombarding Iran to the point of destruction, or as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!” he said.

However, Iran labeled the claim as “false and baseless”.

The development comes as the war in West Asia is set to enter its sixth week, since the February 28 joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Tehran shot down an American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft over its territory.