Iran Rejects U.S. Proposal, Threatens to Extend Missile Range

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a statement today (Sunday) clarifying Iran’s position on the American proposal to end the war. Through mediators, Baghaei said that "the American proposal resembles previous proposals and focuses on the nuclear issue, while Tehran wants to focus on Hormuz."

As a reminder, the United States informed Iran that its main conditions for ending the war are stopping its nuclear program and placing it under IAEA oversight, as well as opening the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian control over it. Iran, for its part, is demanding the lifting of the naval blockade, partial control of the strait, an American withdrawal from the region, and the cancellation of economic sanctions.

Meanwhile, Iranian military spokesperson Mohammad Akrami Nia announced that Tehran has decided to increase the range of its missiles following the war with the United States. According to Akrami Nia, the decision was made because of the American presence roughly 1,000 kilometers from Iran’s coast.

Separately from today’s statements, the U.S. State Department announced that two Iranian diplomats were expelled from the United States after attempting to remain in New York despite explicit instructions. According to a report by Fox News, the matter began when the U.S. State Department ordered all members of the Iranian delegation that attended the UN General Assembly to pack their belongings and leave the United States immediately.

Checks by U.S. authorities found that two members of the delegation chose to ignore the directive and remained in the city for several days afterward. The two were ordered to leave the country: one on Friday night and the other on Saturday morning.