US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran's proposal to end the over two-month-long war in the Middle East, claiming Tehran's terms were "totally unacceptable" and raising the likelihood of renewed conflict after weeks of negotiations. The American commander-in-chief, who is under increasing domestic pressure to end the Iran war, claimed the Islamic republic was "militarily defeated", as he insisted that Tehran's nuclear programme --one of the main reasons why Trump started the war-- has been contained.


"I have just read the response from Iran's so-called 'Representatives.' I don't like it -- TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!" he said.

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Iran has laid out its own demands to Washington and proposed to have some of its highly enriched uranium diluted, and the rest transferred to a third country. In its response, delivered through mediator Pakistan, Iran sought guarantees that the transferred uranium will be returned if negotiations fail or Washington quits the agreement later, sources told the Journal.

Trump made no mention of such details in rejecting Iran's response.

Later, talking to journalist Sharyl Attkisson, Trump also claimed the US was "closely monitoring" Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium and claimed Washington would know if anyone approached the site and would "blow them up".



The 79-year-old Republican himself provided no details on Tehran's counterproposal but, in a brief post on his Truth Social platform, said he was rejecting it.

Iran's Response
Iran responded by warning it would not hold back from retaliating against any new US strikes or permit more foreign warships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state television reported that Tehran has also rejected the American counterproposal as amounting to surrender, insisting instead on "war reparations by the US, full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of seized Iranian assets."

According to state broadcaster IRIB, the US plan, passed to Pakistani mediators, focuses on ending the war "on all fronts, especially Lebanon" -- where Israel has kept up its fight with Iran-backed Hezbollah -- as well as on "ensuring shipping security". The US proposal had also reportedly focused on extending the truce in the Gulf to allow for talks on a final settlement of the conflict and on Iran's contested nuclear programme.

Tehran publicly maintained its defiant line, despite behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

"We will never bow down to the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or retreat," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on X.

Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen or heard publicly since the war began, "issued new and decisive directives for the continuation of operations and the powerful confrontation with the enemies" while meeting with the head of the joint military command, the state broadcaster reported, with no details.