Tehran: An Iranian military spokesperson has mocked the US, even as president Donald Trump pushed for a peace plan to end the crisis in West Asia that is nearing a month now.
In a video address, Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaqari taunted Washington, questioning whether its internal divisions had reached a point where it was “negotiating with itself”.
People like them could never get along with people like the US, he added, dismissing any suggestion of ongoing talks, as reported by WION.
Iran has not confirmed the talks with the US yet, despite Trump claiming that Washington is speaking to a “top person” who is not the Supreme Leader.
“Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you negotiating with yourself?” Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the unified command of Iran’s armed forces, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in the video, adding, “People like us can never get along with people like you.”
US investments and pre-war energy prices would not return as long as Washington does not accept that regional stability is guaranteed by Iranian armed forces, he added.
Trump, meanwhile, said that the United States is “in negotiations right now” with Iran and has sent a 15-point peace plan aimed at ending the conflict.
The proposal begins with Iran agreeing to “not have a nuclear weapon”, he indicated, while also hinting at a positive gesture from Tehran, describing it as a “very big present.”
Reports say that the plan includes a proposed one-month ceasefire, ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and potential sanctions relief for Iran. It also reportedly offers assistance for civil nuclear energy development at Bushehr.
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif is said to have conveyed the proposal to Iran, while senior US officials including JD Vance are involved. Despite diplomatic efforts, reports suggest Washington is also preparing to deploy 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region, highlighting ongoing tensions alongside negotiations.
Iran has also put forward a set of demands to the United States while indicating a willingness to allow inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Channel 12 reported.
Tehran has sought security guarantees that Washington would not carry out future attacks against it, along with the establishment of a new maritime order that would eventually place the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian control. The demands also include the closure of all US military bases across West Asia and financial compensation proportional to the damage Iran sustained during the conflict, the report says.
Iran is said to have expressed readiness to halt its ballistic missile development for five years, reduce uranium enrichment, and participate in discussions on adjusting its stockpile of 60 per cent highly enriched uranium, in return. It has also agreed to halt funding for proxy forces across the region.
