A 15-point US peace plan has been rejected by Iran, which instead proposed a five-point counteroffer that included a demand for sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said talks between US President Donald Trump and Iran are ongoing, warning Trump was “prepared to unleash hell” if Iran “fails to accept the reality of the current moment”.
The US is preparing to deploy thousands more troops to the Middle East, with House speaker Mike Johnson saying the move signals Iran “better get their act together,” claiming Operation Epic Fury was “wrapping up.”
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied any negotiations have taken place. “No negotiations have happened with the enemy until now, and we do not plan on any negotiations,” he said.
In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will convene a national cabinet meeting on Monday as the government contemplates a national fuel conservation strategy.
The federal government is considering coordinating with states to deliver a unified message on simple, voluntary ways to cut fuel use. Measures under discussion include encouraging white-collar employees to work from home, boosting public transport use, and adopting other low-impact steps similar to those introduced by South Korea in its emergency plan this week.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the Middle East conflict has “gone too far” and “the world is staring down the barrel of a wider war.”
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
