End-of-war talks between the United States and Iran have reached a critical juncture. Tensions are again rising after U.S. President Donald Trump said he could not accept Iran's response to the U.S. end-of-war proposal and made clear he would reject it outright. With the two countries having clashed physically around the Strait of Hormuz, a diplomatic settlement is now at risk of collapsing.
On the 10th (local time), according to a compilation of reports from major outlets including Reuters and the AP, President Trump on this day flatly rejected Iran's counterproposal via his social media Truth Social account. Trump said, "I just read the response from Iran's so-called 'representatives,'" adding, "I don't like it. It is totally unacceptable." He received Iran's position through Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator, but publicly criticized it and made clear it was unacceptable.
Iran demanded wide-ranging concessions from the United States as conditions for ending the war. Iran urged a permanent end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. It also included in its response a request to lift sanctions against Iran, including an end to the U.S. maritime blockade and the ban on sales of Iranian oil. It sought firm guarantees to halt additional attacks. Earlier, the United States proposed stopping hostilities before moving in earnest to discuss reducing Iran's nuclear program and reopening navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
With Trump nullifying Iran's response, the prospects for extending the cease-fire and resuming talks have become uncertain. Still, some analysts say room remains for a diplomatic solution through pressure, rather than an immediate return to armed clashes. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz appeared on ABC on this day and said, "We are giving every possible opportunity to diplomacy before returning to hostilities." Trump has warned that if Iran does not accept an agreement to open the strait and reduce its nuclear program, he will resume full-scale bombing. Some also say the United States could restart military action at any time if Iran's stance does not change.
As the talks remain deadlocked, military tensions are mounting across the Middle East. In the skies over Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait, unidentified drones were repeatedly detected or shot down. The UAE intercepted two drones that entered its airspace and pointed to Iran as the party behind them. Israel also called for a hard-line response to Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a CBS interview that Iran must ship out enriched uranium and dismantle its proxy forces, stressing, "The war is not over because there is still more work to be done."
Iran, too, appears determined to fight to the end. According to Iranian state media, Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader who had disappeared from public view, met with the military leadership and ordered them to "continue operations and confront the enemy forcefully." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, "We will never yield to the enemy," declaring his resolve to defend national interests. Iran's military authorities issued the highest level of alert to protect uranium storage facilities against potential infiltration by U.S. special forces. With both sides failing to find common ground, Reuters and others predicted that fears over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil conduit, will intensify further.