President Donald Trump on SundayrejectedIran’s response to the latest U.S. proposal to end the war, blasting Tehran’s answer as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” after Iranian officials delivered their response through Pakistani mediators.
“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives’. I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Earlier Sunday, Trump accused Iran of “playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World.”
The response came after WashingtonsentTehran a 14-point proposal earlier this week.
The American plan would require Iran to agree not to develop a nuclear weapon, stop uranium enrichment for at least 12 years, and hand over an estimated440 kilogramsof uranium enriched to 60%.
Iran’s answer made clear that Tehran wasnot preparedto accept those terms. Iranian state television reported that the regime viewed the U.S. proposal as “surrender” and instead demanded war reparations from the United States, Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of seized Iranian assets.
In other words, Iran did not respond to Trump’s proposal with a serious peace offer. Tehran responded by demanding rewards.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important shipping routes in the world, especially for global energy markets.
The conflict in the Persian Gulf has already disrupted shipping and sent energy prices higher. Iran’s demand for control over the strait would hand the regime leverage over one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints while giving Tehran the ability to threaten global commerce whenever the regime wants concessions.
Reuters reported Sunday that Iran’s counterproposal, cited by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency,calledfor a comprehensive end to hostilities and the lifting of sanctions.
Tasnim also reported that Iran wanted the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control to suspend sanctions on Iranian oil sales within30 daysand demanded the removal of the naval blockade around Iran.
Tasnim alsoreportedthat Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran’s priority was ending the war.
“For now, we have decided to focus on ending the war, because this issue is a matter of concern for the entire region, for our nation, and for the international community,” Baqaei said, according to Tasnim.
That statement sounds diplomatic, but the actual demands tell a different story. Iran wants sanctions relief, access to frozen assets, control over the Strait of Hormuz, and reparations—all while refusing the core American demand that the regime give up the nuclear threat that helped create the crisis in the first place.
Trump’s rejection signals that the administration is not willing to accept a deal that allows Iran to walk away with economic relief and strategic control while offering little in return.
The president’s message was blunt, but the substance was clear: the United States is not going to call surrender by another name.
Iran had a chance to move toward peace. Instead, Tehran tried to turn Trump’s proposal into a payoff.
