Donald Trump on Saturday rejected Iran's latest diplomatic overture, declaring the country has not yet faced sufficient consequences for its actions while leaving the door open to fresh military strikes.
The president's comments came as Iranian semiofficial news outlets reported that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to Washington through Pakistani intermediaries. Trump said he would review the plan but expressed immediate skepticism about its viability.
"They have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years," Trump posted on social media, moments after telling reporters he could not imagine accepting the proposal in its current form.
When asked whether additional military action could occur, Trump did not rule it out. "If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we'll see," he said. "But it's a possibility that could happen, certainly."
Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded by casting the burden back on Washington, saying "the ball is in the United States' court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach." He added that Tehran stood prepared for either direction.
The new Iranian proposal reportedly sought US withdrawal from areas near Iran, removal of the American blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, release of frozen Iranian assets, compensation payments, sanctions relief, and an end to fighting across all fronts including Lebanon. It also proposed establishing a new control mechanism for the strategically vital strait.
A ceasefire between the US and Israel against Iran has held since April 8, following strikes that Washington launched in late February during nuclear negotiations. One round of peace talks already failed in Pakistan.
The core dispute remains unchanged: Washington demands any deal include guarantees that prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a condition Trump cited when authorizing the February strikes. Iran maintains its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.
Control of the Strait of Hormuz has become a central flashpoint. Since the war began, Iran has maintained tight restrictions on passage through the waterway, disrupting global flows of oil, gas, and fertilizer. The US Navy has responded with a blockade of Iranian ports, strangling Tehran's oil revenues as its economy deteriorates.
On Friday, the US escalated pressure by warning shipping companies they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran for safe passage. Washington specified the prohibition extends beyond cash to "digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments," including charitable donations and embassy transactions.
The standoff has pushed oil prices to roughly 50 percent above prewar levels, reflecting the global market's sensitivity to disruption in one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's willingness to keep military options on the table while dismissing negotiations out of hand suggests this stalemate has plenty of runway left."
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