US President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran’s response to a US proposal aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, calling it “totally unacceptable”.
Iran outlines conditions
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Tehran’s response was delivered through Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator between the two sides.
The proposal reportedly called for an immediate end to fighting across all fronts, the lifting of a US naval blockade, and guarantees that Iran would not face further attacks.
A ceasefire introduced to support negotiations following the conflict launched by the US and Israel in February has largely held, despite occasional exchanges of fire.
Earlier this week, Trump said the war in Iran would be “over quickly”.
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Strait of Hormuz tensions
Iran has continued to warn regional countries against supporting US sanctions and has issued threats related to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
Military spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said vessels passing through the strait could face “severe consequences” if they failed to co-operate with Tehran first.
Iran has repeatedly used its influence over the waterway during the conflict, which began after US and Israeli strikes on 28 February. Around a fifth of global oil and natural gas shipments normally pass through the strait.
The US maintains military bases across the Gulf region, including in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Security concerns grow
Britain announced over the weekend that the Royal Navy would send a warship to the region as part of a planned international effort to safeguard shipping routes once fighting ends.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have backed the initiative, although Macron later said France was considering a security mission rather than a direct naval deployment.
Iran warned on Sunday that any British or French deployment in the strait would trigger a “decisive and immediate response”.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Qatar reported a cargo vessel had been struck by an unidentified projectile north-east of Doha, causing a small fire but no casualties. Kuwait and the UAE also reported intercepting drones believed to have originated from Iran.
Disagreement over Iran’s nuclear programme
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile must be dismantled before the conflict can truly end.
“There’s still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled,” Netanyahu said in comments due to air on CBS’s 60 Minutes.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meanwhile said negotiations should not be viewed as surrender.
Trump later posted on Truth Social that he had reviewed Iran’s reply and did not accept it.
US outlet Axios reported that the US proposal included suspending Iranian uranium enrichment, easing sanctions and restoring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, although many conditions would depend on a final agreement.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 11 May 2026
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