&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'I don't like it...': Trump rejects Iran's peace proposal, issues stark warning: War to restart soon?")
US President Donald Trump on Sunday (May 10) categorically rejected Iran's proposal for ending the war and termed it as "totally unacceptable," triggering fear of renewed conflict. Iran had responded to Washington's latest peace proposal earlier in the day, while warning it would not hold back from retaliating against any new US strikes or permit more foreign warships in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump himself provided no details on Tehran's counterproposal, and made the remarks on Truth Social platform. Trump had earlier said that he would not call the Iran war as a formal war but a military operation. He also said that it was terminated. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned it would retaliate against any new US attacks and opposed foreign naval deployments in the Strait of Hormuz.
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"I have just read the response from Iran's so-called 'Representatives.' I don't like it -- TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!" Trump said. Trumpalso accused Iran of “playing games”. Iran “has been playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World, for 47 years”, the president wrote on Truth Social. “They will be laughing no longer!”
In sharp contrast to several statements by the US, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that war is not over. Speaking to CBS News, Netanyahu said, “There’s still nuclear material, enriched uranium that has to be taken out of Iran,” he said in a taped interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that is set to air Sunday night. “There is still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled, there’s still proxies that Iran supports, there are ballistic missiles that they still want to produce ... there’s work to be done.”
What was Washington's proposal?
Washington sent a 14-point proposal earlier this week. According to the proposal, Iran would have to agree not to develop a nuclear weapon and stop all uranium enrichment for at least 12 years. It would also be required to hand over its estimated 440kg (970lb) stock of uranium enriched to 60 percent. In return, the US would gradually lift sanctions, release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and halt its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
In April last week, Iran had forwarded a three stage proposal via Pakistan which Washington rejected. The first stage demanded a total end to the war, specifically hostilities on Hezbollah in Lebanon. The second stage focused on lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and restoring maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The third stage covered the contentious negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program are postponed. Tehran said that third stage would begin only after the ceasefire is established and the Strait is reopened.
