Iran receives US response to ceasefire proposal as Washington completes Iraq withdrawal

Iran said Wednesday it received a US response to its ceasefire proposal, days after President Donald Trump claimed he rejected it. Washington also completed its troop withdrawal from Iraq, which Tehran hailed as a victory for its allied armed groups. Iran's proposal would lift the US blockade of its ports in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi conveyed the US response, though an official said sides agree on steps but differ on their order. The withdrawal ended a US presence in Iraq following the 2003 invasion. The US-Iran war, now in its eighth month, has disrupted global energy supplies and raised fuel prices, hurting Republicans before congressional elections. Iran's Revolutionary Guard urged Americans to vote out Trump's allies, while shipping through the strait remains risky with recent projectile attacks on two vessels.