Iran has declined a US-backed truce proposal while reporting fresh military action, including claims of downed aircraft, as tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate rapidly.
File photo: Smoke billows over a city skyline in the Middle East | ANI
Iran has turned down a United States proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, according to a report by the semi-official Fars news agency.
The offer, reportedly sent via a “friendly” country on Thursday, came as Washington stepped up diplomatic outreach following a sharp rise in tensions across the region.
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Sources cited by Fars said the proposal was made after the situation worsened and US forces faced what were described as serious setbacks linked to an underestimation of Iran’s military strength. The diplomatic push gained urgency after an Iranian strike targeted a US military depot on Kuwait’s Bubiyan Island, as reported by Xinhua.
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Iran did not respond with a formal written reply. Instead, the report said, its position was conveyed through continued military action on the ground.
In a separate development, Iran’s army said its air defence units shot down a US A-10 attack aircraft over waters near the Strait of Hormuz. The plane is said to have crashed into the Persian Gulf.
Earlier in the day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had brought down a US F-35 fighter jet in central Iranian airspace. Later, Mehr News Agency reported that a US Black Hawk helicopter was also struck while searching for the pilot of the downed jet.
Yadollah Rahmani, governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, urged local residents, especially in tribal and rural areas, to assist authorities in locating what he referred to as “enemy pilots”.
The current escalation follows joint strikes by Israel and the United States on February 28 targeting Tehran and other cities. Those attacks reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior commanders and civilians. Iran later responded with multiple rounds of missile and drone attacks aimed at Israeli and US-linked targets in the region.
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