President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran’s response to U.S. proposals to end the war as “completely unacceptable.”
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said Tehran’s proposals, through Pakistan acting as mediator, included an immediate end to the war on all fronts, an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and a pledge not to launch further attacks on Iran.
A ceasefire launched by the United States and Israel in February to facilitate talks to end the war has been largely adhered to, despite occasional exchanges of fire.
Earlier this week, Trump reiterated that the war with Iran would be “over soon.”
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium must be “removed” before the war on Iran can be considered over.
“There are still enrichment sites that need to be dismantled,” Netanyahu told CBS’s 60 Minutes.
According to Iranian state media, Tehran’s proposal includes demands for compensation for war losses and an emphasis on Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian did not directly mention Tehran’s proposal but said: “We will never bow before our enemies and if there is dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or withdrawal.”
Trump posted on Truth Social: “I just read the response from the so-called ‘representative’ of Iran. I don’t like it – completely unacceptable.”
The one-page, 14-point U.S. memorandum includes provisions such as suspending Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities, lifting sanctions, and restoring free transit through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. news outlet Axios reported.
It cited two U.S. officials and two other sources, both unnamed, who said they were aware of the issues. Many of the terms outlined in the memo will be contingent on a final agreement being reached, the sources said.
Iran continues to block strategic straits, causing world oil prices to rise. About 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass through the strait.
The United States, for its part, has been imposing a blockade on Iranian ports to put pressure on Tehran to agree to its terms, a move that has angered Iran.
On February 28, Israeli and US forces began large-scale air strikes against Iran. A ceasefire in the Iran war came into effect last month.
Netanyahu also said in the CBS interview that he wants to reduce U.S. financial support for the Israeli military “to zero.”
“We receive $3.8 billion a year. I think it’s time for us to get rid of the remaining military support,” he said, adding: “Let’s do it starting now and over the next ten years.”
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, an important channel for oil and natural gas, has basically stopped [AFP via Getty Images]
Iran has warned its neighbors to comply with U.S. sanctions.
Military spokesman Mohammad Akraminiya said ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would face “serious consequences” if they did not first cooperate with Tehran, Iran’s news agency reported.
Akraminya said the Americans “will never be able to cover this vast area of the North Indian Ocean with their fleet and turn it into a real blockade.”
The United States has a significant military presence in the Gulf, with bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
The Royal Navy will send a warship to the Middle East where it can take part in an international mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, it was announced on Saturday.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who joined French President Emmanuel Macron in backing the transport mission, said it would only take place after fighting in the area ended.
In response, Iran warned on Sunday it would respond “decisively and immediately” to any deployment by France or Britain in the strait.
Macron later said France “never envisaged” a naval deployment but would instead carry out security tasks “in coordination with Iran.”
Iran has also retaliated against U.S. Arab allies in the Gulf.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors international routes, said a bulk carrier was “hit by an unknown projectile” about 23 nautical miles (43 kilometers) northeast of Doha, Qatar, causing a small fire but causing no casualties.
Iran’s Fars news agency later quoted an unidentified source as saying the ship “sailed under the American flag and belongs to the United States.”
Also on Sunday, Kuwait said drones had entered its airspace and the military had “dealt with them.”
Hours later, the UAE said its air defenses intercepted two drones from Iran.
Defense ministers from more than 40 countries will meet on Monday to discuss a UK-led plan to protect shipping in the Channel.
John Healy and French Foreign Minister Catherine Vautrin will co-chair the meeting, where coalition partners are expected to outline how they will regulate maritime traffic once hostilities cease.
Trump wrote in a May 6 Truth Society post that if Iran does not agree to a deal, “the bombing will begin, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than before.”