US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest response to American proposals aimed at ending the ongoing war, calling Tehran’s position “totally unacceptable.”
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, the proposal delivered through Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator, included demands for an immediate halt to fighting across all fronts, the lifting of the US naval blockade, and assurances that Iran would not face further attacks, BBC reports.
Although a ceasefire intended to pave the way for negotiations has largely held since last month, sporadic clashes continue. Trump has insisted that the war “will be over quickly,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasised that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles must be eliminated before the conflict can truly be considered resolved.
“There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled,” Netanyahu said in an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking on Sunday, avoided direct mention of the proposal but declared: “We will never bow our heads before the enemy, and if talk of dialogue or negotiation arises, it does not mean surrender or retreat.”
Trump reiterated his stance on Truth Social, writing: “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it – TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.”
US outlet Axios reported that Washington’s one-page, 14-point memorandum includes provisions such as suspension of Iranian nuclear enrichment; lifting of sanctions and restoration of free transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Unnamed US officials and sources briefed on the matter noted that many of these measures would depend on a final agreement being reached.
Iran has continued to block the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which about one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies normally pass. This has driven up world energy prices. Meanwhile, the US has enforced a blockade of Iranian ports to pressure Tehran, a move that has further inflamed tensions.
Israeli and US forces launched large-scale airstrikes on Iran on 28 February, marking the start of the war. The ceasefire that followed has been fragile but mostly observed.
Netanyahu also signaled a shift in Israel’s military financing, stating: “I want to draw down to zero” US financial support, which currently amounts to $3.8 billion annually. He suggested phasing out this aid over the next decade.
Iran has issued stern warnings to neighboring states about cooperating with US sanctions. Military spokesman Mohammad Akraminia told Irna news agency that vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz would face “severe consequences” if they did not first coordinate with Tehran. He added that US forces “will never be able to turn this vast expanse in the northern Indian Ocean into a real blockade by covering it with their fleet.”
Iran’s control of the strait has become a central lever in the conflict, with Tehran threatening and, in some cases, attacking ships attempting to cross.
The US maintains a significant military presence across the Gulf, with bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
