Trump Rejects 'Unacceptable' Iranian Terms for Ending War; Tehran Warns of New Attacks
US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran's terms for ending the ongoing Middle East war, raising concerns of renewed conflict. In response, Iran warns against new US strikes and foreign warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday branded Iran’s terms for ending the Middle East war “totally unacceptable,” increasing the likelihood of renewed conflict after weeks of negotiations.
Iran had responded to Washington’s latest peace proposal earlier in the day, while warning it would not hold back from retaliating against any new US strikes or permit more foreign warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump provided no details on Tehran’s counterproposal but stated his rejection through a brief post on his Truth Social platform.
He said, “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.‡ I don’t like it – TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”
The back and forth came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the conflict was not over until Iran’s enriched uranium was removed and its nuclear facilities dismantled.
Tehran maintained a defiant line despite behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
Tehran’s response to the US plan, passed through Pakistani mediators, focuses on ending the war “on all fronts, especially Lebanon”, where Israel has continued fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah, as well as ensuring shipping security.
It offered little detail, though the US proposal reportedly focused on extending the truce in the Gulf to allow for talks on a final settlement of the conflict and on Iran’s contested nuclear program.
Netanyahu stated that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium must be removed before the war can end.
He added that Trump was on the same page regarding removing the uranium, though the president said in a recent interview that the US could remove it “whenever we want,” and that it is “very well surveilled” where it currently resides.
Trump is expected to press President Xi Jinping of China on Iran when he visits Beijing next week, as China is a major buyer of Iranian oil.
A senior US administration official confirmed this.
Iran also laid out its own demands to Washington and proposed diluting some of its highly enriched uranium and transferring the rest to a third country.
It sought guarantees that the transferred uranium would be returned if negotiations fail or if Washington quits the agreement later, according to The Wall Street Journal sources.
Despite a month-old ceasefire in the conflict and relative calm over the past 48 hours, hostile drones were detected over several Gulf countries on Sunday, highlighting ongoing threats to the region.
A Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the first such vessel since the US and Israel began the war on February 28.
Additionally, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier bound for Brazil transited the strait using a route designated by Iran’s armed forces.
Iran imposed a blockade on the vital Strait of Hormuz early in the war, leading to surges in global oil prices and destabilizing financial markets.
It has since established a payment mechanism to extract tolls from ships crossing the strait but faced opposition from US officials, who deemed it “unacceptable” for Tehran to control an international waterway.
The US Navy continues to blockade Iran’s ports at times, disabling or diverting ships heading to and from them.
Britain and France are leading efforts to create an international coalition to secure the strait after a peace deal is reached, deploying vessels to the region in advance.
However, Iran warned that any deployment by these nations would result in “decisive and immediate responses.
Fresh drone attacks on Sunday in the Gulf further disrupted the ceasefire following recent flare-ups.
The United Arab Emirates stated that its air defense systems successfully engaged two drones launched from Iran, while Kuwait reported an attempted attack and Qatar's defense ministry confirmed a freighter was hit by a drone.
No group claimed responsibility for these attacks.
Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, warned Washington that “Our restraint is over as of today”.
He stated that any attack on Iranian vessels would trigger a strong and decisive response against American ships and bases.
Iranian state television reported that Tehran's military chief Ali Abdollahi met with the country's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei to receive new directives for continuing operations to confront the enemy.
Iran had responded to Washington’s latest peace proposal earlier in the day, while warning it would not hold back from retaliating against any new US strikes or permit more foreign warships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump provided no details on Tehran’s counterproposal but stated his rejection through a brief post on his Truth Social platform.
He said, “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.‡ I don’t like it – TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”
The back and forth came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the conflict was not over until Iran’s enriched uranium was removed and its nuclear facilities dismantled.
Tehran maintained a defiant line despite behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
Tehran’s response to the US plan, passed through Pakistani mediators, focuses on ending the war “on all fronts, especially Lebanon”, where Israel has continued fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah, as well as ensuring shipping security.
It offered little detail, though the US proposal reportedly focused on extending the truce in the Gulf to allow for talks on a final settlement of the conflict and on Iran’s contested nuclear program.
Netanyahu stated that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium must be removed before the war can end.
He added that Trump was on the same page regarding removing the uranium, though the president said in a recent interview that the US could remove it “whenever we want,” and that it is “very well surveilled” where it currently resides.
Trump is expected to press President Xi Jinping of China on Iran when he visits Beijing next week, as China is a major buyer of Iranian oil.
A senior US administration official confirmed this.
Iran also laid out its own demands to Washington and proposed diluting some of its highly enriched uranium and transferring the rest to a third country.
It sought guarantees that the transferred uranium would be returned if negotiations fail or if Washington quits the agreement later, according to The Wall Street Journal sources.
Despite a month-old ceasefire in the conflict and relative calm over the past 48 hours, hostile drones were detected over several Gulf countries on Sunday, highlighting ongoing threats to the region.
A Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the first such vessel since the US and Israel began the war on February 28.
Additionally, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier bound for Brazil transited the strait using a route designated by Iran’s armed forces.
Iran imposed a blockade on the vital Strait of Hormuz early in the war, leading to surges in global oil prices and destabilizing financial markets.
It has since established a payment mechanism to extract tolls from ships crossing the strait but faced opposition from US officials, who deemed it “unacceptable” for Tehran to control an international waterway.
The US Navy continues to blockade Iran’s ports at times, disabling or diverting ships heading to and from them.
Britain and France are leading efforts to create an international coalition to secure the strait after a peace deal is reached, deploying vessels to the region in advance.
However, Iran warned that any deployment by these nations would result in “decisive and immediate responses.
Fresh drone attacks on Sunday in the Gulf further disrupted the ceasefire following recent flare-ups.
The United Arab Emirates stated that its air defense systems successfully engaged two drones launched from Iran, while Kuwait reported an attempted attack and Qatar's defense ministry confirmed a freighter was hit by a drone.
No group claimed responsibility for these attacks.
Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, warned Washington that “Our restraint is over as of today”.
He stated that any attack on Iranian vessels would trigger a strong and decisive response against American ships and bases.
Iranian state television reported that Tehran's military chief Ali Abdollahi met with the country's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei to receive new directives for continuing operations to confront the enemy.