Iran has rejected the 15-point peace proposal put forward by the United States and strongly denied that it requested a ceasefire, as tensions with Washington continue to escalate and President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. could leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Iranian officials called Trump’s claim “false and baseless” after the U.S. president wrote on Truth Social that Tehran had sought a ceasefire ahead of his address to the nation. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said no truce had been requested and that Iran would continue military operations until its conditions are met.

According to Iranian media and regional diplomatic sources, Tehran had already rejected a U.S. 15-point proposal last week aimed at ending the war. Iranian authorities described the plan as containing “extreme and exaggerated” demands and insisted they would not accept a timetable imposed by Washington for ending the conflict.

Iran’s conditions for any future agreement include a complete halt to U.S. and Israeli attacks, guarantees that the conflict will not resume, financial reparations for damages and formal recognition of Iranian authority over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump nevertheless insisted on Wednesday that Iran “has asked for a ceasefire” and said the United States would only consider such a move if the Strait of Hormuz is once again “open, free and clear.” He also said the war could end within the next three weeks and that U.S. forces would leave Iran “pretty quickly,” while warning that Washington could launch further strikes if necessary.

At the same time, the U.S. is increasing its military presence in the Middle East. The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and three destroyers are heading to the region, while thousands of troops from the 82nd Airborne Division have already begun arriving. Diplomats from Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt are emerging as new mediators in a conflict that is already affecting global oil prices and maritime traffic.

In another dramatic development, Trump said he is considering withdrawing the United States from NATO. In comments published by Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, Trump described the alliance as a “paper tiger” and criticized NATO allies for failing to provide stronger support during the war with Iran.

“I would seriously consider leaving NATO,” Trump said, reviving a long-standing criticism that European allies do not contribute enough militarily or financially. His remarks raised alarm among Western diplomats, who fear a weakening of the West’s main defense alliance at a time of mounting instability in the Middle East.