Iran has rejected a ceasefire proposal sent by the United States, according to an Iranian official cited by Reuters. The proposal was delivered to Tehran through two intermediary countries. The announcement came on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, as Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly took a firm stance against both the United States and Israel during his first foreign policy session.

The official said Khamenei expressed a hardline position on taking ‘revenge’ against the two nations, though it was unclear whether he attended the meeting in person. In his response, Khamenei stated that peace would not be possible until the United States and Israel admitted defeat, bowed down, and paid compensation. The rejection underscores Tehran’s continued defiance amid escalating hostilities.

The conflict began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched attacks targeting Iran’s top leadership. Those strikes killed the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aged 86, and several senior military commanders. Following his father’s death, Mojtaba Khamenei was declared Iran’s new Supreme Leader.