Trump rejects Iran peace proposal as Tehran vows to confront ‘enemies’
In this photo taken from Iran’s ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Gambian-flagged tanker ship Bill is seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. (Photo: Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images) /
Amirhossein Khorgooei | Afp | Getty Images
US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s counterproposal to end the 10-week war in the Middle East, calling it “completely unacceptable”, while Tehran vowed to “never bow”, prolonging a stalemate that has choked the Strait of Hormuz and rattled global energy markets.
“I just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives’. I did not like it; TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” the president said in a speech Real Social post Sunday.
Iranian state media framed Tehran’s response as follows: Rejection of US offerhe described it as a demand for “surrender”. Tehran insisted on its response to the latest US offer: war reparations, full sovereignty End of sanctions on the Strait of Hormuz and release of frozen Iranian assets.
As negotiations continued on Sunday, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone. “We will never bow our heads before the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, this does not mean surrender or retreat.” X said Translated from Persian via Grok.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that the war is not over because there is “more work to be done.” He said Iran has neither delivered its enriched uranium nor dismantled its enrichment sites, continuing to support its regional proxies and advance its ballistic missile program.
Nuclear and Hormuz impasse
The Wall Street Journal reported: Iran rejected US requestRegarding its nuclear program and stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Tehran instead proposed separate talks, offering to dilute some of the highly enriched uranium and transfer the rest to a third country on the condition that it be returned if Washington withdraws from any deal, the Journal reported.
The United States wants assurances that Iran will end its nuclear program as part of any peace deal. Iran has reportedly agreed to suspend uranium enrichment, but for a period shorter than the 20-year moratorium proposed by the United States, Iran has refused to dismantle its nuclear facilities.
Tehran also demanded that the United States lift the blockade of Iranian ports as a condition for opening the Strait of Hormuz.
A Qatari LNG tanker crossed the strait on Sunday for the first time since the start of the war; This transit was reportedly approved by Iran in a bid to build trust with Qatar and Pakistan, but the symbolic opening did little to ease broader concerns in the market.
US West Texas Intermediate futures for June delivery rose 3.08% to $95.42 per barrel on Monday, while international benchmark Brent crude futures for July delivery rose 3.16% to $104.49 per barrel.
Iran continued drone attacks against its Gulf neighbors over the weekend. The UAE said it intercepted two drones from Iran, Qatar condemned a drone attack that crashed into a cargo ship in its waters, and Kuwait said its air defenses encountered hostile drones entering its airspace.
Iranian Army Spokesperson, Brigadier General Mohammed Akraminia, In an interview with IRNAHe warned of “surprising options” if enemies made another “miscalculation” and said any future attack would take the conflict to areas “the enemy had not anticipated”.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been publicly announced since the beginning of the war, also issued a statement. “new and decisive directives” The state broadcaster reported the military operations without elaborating.
All eyes are on Beijing
The unresolved dispute concerns Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week. The Iran war is likely to be the center of attention.
Washington is trying to pressure Beijing to lean on Tehran to reopen the strait, but China’s appetite to act as a pressure mechanism remains unclear.
The base case, according to Ben Emons, managing director at Fed Watch Advisors, is “a managed detente with potentially weak outcomes;” This likely means a vague common language for de-escalating tensions and keeping oil flowing.
Emons said China shares Washington’s interest in a stable Hormuz but is unlikely to make concessions that would undermine its partnership with Tehran or discredit a failed mediation effort.
Beijing hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last week in a high-profile diplomatic opening; Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi called on Tehran to find a diplomatic solution to the regional conflict and avoid hostilities, while reaffirming the “strategic partnership” between the two countries.
