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Iran says ‘ball is in US court’ as Trump weighs next move amid stalled talks

Iran says ‘ball is in US court’ as Trump weighs next move amid stalled talks

Commuters make their way past an anti-US billboard referring to President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, installed on a building at the Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 2, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)

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An Iranian military official on Saturday said a new conflict with the United States is likely, as peace talks remain stuck and Donald Trump criticised Iran’s latest proposal.

Iran on Saturday (May 02) said it is prepared for both diplomacy and renewed conflict, placing the onus on the United States as tensions remain unresolved despite a fragile pause in hostilities.

"Now the ball is in the United States' court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach," deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi told diplomats in Tehran, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

"Iran, with the aim of securing its national interests and security, is prepared for both paths," he said.

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This comes after US President Trump, on Friday, said he was dissatisfied with Iran’s latest proposal. “At this moment I'm not satisfied with what they're offering,” Trump told reporters, attributing the lack of progress to “tremendous discord” within Iran’s leadership.

Trump added that the choice before him was whether to “just blast the hell out of them” or to “try and make a deal”, while indicating he would prefer not to take the first option.

Iran had submitted a fresh draft proposal to mediator Pakistan earlier this week, though details of the document were not disclosed. The conflict, which began in late February with strikes by the United States and Israel, has remained on hold since April 8 following a ceasefire, with one round of talks in Pakistan failing to produce a breakthrough.

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A senior Iranian military official, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, warned that escalation remains likely, saying “a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely.” He added, “Evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements.”

In Washington, the situation has also triggered a legal debate over whether the administration has breached the deadline for seeking congressional approval for the war. Officials argue that the ceasefire pauses the 60-day limit, a claim disputed by opposition lawmakers.

Administration officials argue that the ceasefire pauses for a 60-day limit, after which congressional authorisation would be required, a claim disputed by opposition Democrats.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)

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Ajaypal Choudhary

Driven by a deep interest in international politics and geo-economics, Ajaypal Choudhary writes on and analyses a wide range of subjects from geopolitics and the global economy to ...Read More