Trump to hit Iran harder if Tehran does not accept defeat, White House says

The United States on Wednesday issued a stern warning to ​Iran saying President Donald Trump would hit them harder if ‌Tehran fails to accept that they have been "defeated militarily", White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "President Trump does not bluff and ​he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should ​not miscalculate again," Leavitt told reporters in a ⁠press briefing. "If Iran fails to accept the reality of ​the current moment, if they fail to understand that ​they have been defeated militarily, and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever ​been hit before," she said. As the joint US-Israeli ​war on Iran entered its fourth week, there have been efforts ‌by ⁠multiple countries such as Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt to mediate a possible negotiation to try and end the war but uncertainty persisted on where and when any talks ​would materialize. However, Iran rejected the US proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war, saying any ceasefire would take place only on Tehran’s terms and timeline, a senior political-security official told the state-run Press TV. Read More: Iran rejects US proposal, outlines five conditions to end war The official said Iran responded negatively to the American initiative, stressing that the end of the “imposed war” would depend solely on conditions set by the Islamic Republic. According to the official, Iran outlined five conditions for ending the war, including a complete halt to “aggression and assassinations.” The conditions also include establishing concrete mechanisms to ensure the war is not reimposed on Iran, as well as “guaranteed and clearly” defined payment of war damages and reparations. Tehran further called for the conclusion of the war across all fronts and for all “resistance groups” involved throughout the region. The official also stressed the need for international recognition and guarantees of Iran’s sovereign right to exercise authority over the Strait of Hormuz. The US sent Iran a 15-point plan aimed at resolving the conflict in the Middle East, a report said Tuesday. The New York Times, citing two officials briefed on the diplomacy, said the proposal was delivered via Pakistan and outlines steps addressing Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs as well as maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. The US and Israel have been carrying out airstrikes on Iran since February 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Also Read: UN chief warns Iran war 'out of control,' world staring down barrel of wider conflict Earlier on Wednesday it was said that Pakistan delivered a proposal from the United States to Iran, and either Pakistan or Turkiye could be venues for discussions to de-escalate the war in the Gulf, a senior Iranian official told Reuters. The ​comments, on condition of anonymity, were among rare signs that Tehran might consider diplomatic proposals, despite insisting in public that no talks were under way and it would make no deal with ‌the administration of US President Donald Trump. The Iranian source did not disclose details of the proposal passed on by Pakistan, or whether it was the same as a 15-point US framework previously reported by news outlets including Reuters. The source said Turkiye had also "helped to end the war and either Turkey or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for such talks".