Iran rejects temporary ceasefire, sets conditions for US talks - Reuters
Iran has rejected any temporary ceasefire with the United States and set conditions for talks on “a lasting peace,” Reuters reported, citing a senior Iranian source.
The source said Tehran’s preconditions include an immediate halt to US and Israeli strikes, guarantees that attacks will not be repeated, and compensation for damages caused during the conflict.
The source added that under a permanent peace deal, Tehran is demanding fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route.
The transit fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would vary depending on vessel type, cargo and prevailing conditions, according to the source.
A deepening rift at the top of the Islamic Republic has spilled into an unusually sharp confrontation, with President Masoud Pezeshkian accusing senior Guards commanders of unilateral actions that have wrecked ceasefire prospects and pushed Iran toward disaster.
Two sources close to the presidential office said a tense exchange took place on Saturday, April 4, between Pezeshkian and Hossein Taeb, a powerful figure close to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Those present described the conversation as unusually difficult and highly charged.
During the meeting, Pezeshkian accused IRGC chief commander Ahmad Vahidi and Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters – the country’s armed forces' unified command, of acting unilaterally and driving escalation through attacks on regional countries, especially against their infrastructure.
According to the sources, Pezeshkian said those policies had destroyed any remaining chance of a ceasefire and were steering the Islamic Republic directly toward “a huge catastrophe.”
He also warned that, based on what he described as precise assessments, Iran’s economy would not be able to withstand a prolonged war for much longer and that full economic collapse was inevitable under current conditions.
The confrontation comes amid mounting evidence of a broader power shift inside the Islamic Republic, with military and intelligence networks increasingly displacing both the elected government and the traditional clerical order.
A regional source familiar with internal developments told Iran International in February that the model of velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist) that has defined the Islamic Republic for more than four decades is now undergoing a fundamental transformation and even an “ideological collapse.”
According to that source, the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei to the leadership, despite lacking the traditional qualifications and legitimacy associated with the position, took place through an opaque process that in practice amounts to the sidelining of the traditional clergy and the consolidation of full control by the Guards’ military-intelligence apparatus.
The source said this process has strengthened what many insiders describe as the Islamic Republic’s “hidden state.”
Iran International has previously reported growing tensions between Pezeshkian and senior IRGC commanders, particularly Vahidi, over how the war should be managed and over its destructive impact on people’s livelihoods and the economy.
On March 28, informed sources said Pezeshkian had criticized the Guards’ approach to escalating tensions and continuing attacks on neighboring countries, warning that without a ceasefire the economy could collapse within three weeks to a month.
Subsequent reporting by Iran International showed that the president’s authority has continued to shrink.
Sources said the Guards have resisted Pezeshkian’s appointments and decisions, effectively stripped the government of executive control and erected a security barrier around the core of power.
According to those reports, Pezeshkian’s attempt to appoint a new intelligence minister collapsed under direct pressure from Vahidi, who rejected all proposed candidates, including Hossein Dehghan, and insisted that all key wartime positions must, for now, be chosen and managed directly by the Guards.
Alongside the political infighting, fresh field reports received by Iran International point to a worsening human and logistical crisis inside the Guards and the Basij.
Sources said that over the past 72 hours, operational forces have faced acute shortages of basic supplies, including edible food, hygiene facilities and places to sleep.
Recent strikes on infrastructure and bases have left many Guards and Basij personnel sleeping in the streets, and in some areas they have had access to only one meal a day.
According to informed sources, some personnel were forced to buy food from shops and restaurants with their own money after expired rations were distributed.
At the same time, disruptions affecting Bank Sepah’s electronic systems have reportedly delayed the salaries and benefits of military personnel, fueling fresh anger and mistrust within the ranks.
Iran International had previously reported similarly dire conditions in field units, including severe shortages of ammunition, water and food, as well as growing desertions by exhausted soldiers.
Even in the Guards’ missile units, which have historically received priority treatment, sources reported serious communications failures and food shortages. They said commanders were continuing to send only technical components needed to keep missile systems operational, rather than food or basic individual supplies for personnel.
Egypt’s foreign minister called for restraint in tensions involving Iran and the United States, warning of a “catastrophic scenario” as he held talks with regional and international counterparts.
Badr Abdelatty said Egypt was working to “defuse tensions and avoid a catastrophic scenario that no party would be spared from,” according to a statement, as diplomacy intensifies to ease the conflict.
He stressed “the importance of prioritizing dialogue and diplomacy to reach a deal that achieves calm,” and urged efforts to contain the escalating situation.
Abdelatty held calls with officials including Iraq’s foreign minister, Pakistan’s foreign minister, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and a UN representative to assess efforts to reach understandings between Washington and Tehran.
The talks also addressed the impact of the conflict on global shipping, supply chains, food security and energy markets, amid rising oil prices and disruption linked to the crisis.
The Iraqi Kurdistan region’s counter-terrorism service said on Tuesday that drones which struck a civilian home in Erbil overnight, killing a couple, were launched from Iran.
In a statement issued early on Tuesday, the agency said the one-way attack drones targeting Erbil had taken off from inside Iranian territory.
The presidency of the Kurdistan region called on the Iraqi federal government to take responsibility to prevent such attacks and stop what it described as repeated violations against the region and its civilians.
The governor of Erbil said multiple drones and missiles were fired toward the city overnight.
He said the deaths of the couple brought the total number of people killed in attacks on the Kurdistan region since Feb. 28 to 16.
