U.S. President Donald Trump has shattered hopes for an immediate end to the Middle East conflict, branding Tehran’s latest counterproposal “totally unacceptable” in a blunt social media post on Sunday.
The rejection signals a potential return to full-scale hostilities following weeks of fragile negotiations and a month-long ceasefire.
The President’s remarks came shortly after Iran transmitted its response to a U.S.-led peace plan through Pakistani mediators. While the specific text remains private, Trump wasted no time voicing his displeasure on Truth Social.
“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”
The escalating rhetoric coincides with a hardening stance from Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—whose forces initiated the joint military campaign dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” alongside the U.S. on February 28—insisted that the war will continue until Iran’s nuclear capabilities are neutralized.
“It’s not over, because there’s still nuclear material — enriched uranium — that has to be taken out of Iran. There’s still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled,” Netanyahu told CBS’s 60 Minutes.
Despite the diplomatic deadlock, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian maintained a posture of defiance, framing the negotiations as a matter of strategy rather than submission.
“We will never bow down to the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or retreat,” Pezeshkian stated on social media.
According to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Tehran’s proposal focused on a comprehensive end to the war “on all fronts,” with specific emphasis on Lebanon and “ensuring shipping security” in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the plan reportedly fell short of U.S. demands for a 20-year moratorium on enrichment and the total overseas transfer of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
President Trump is expected to bring the issue to the global stage this week during a high-stakes visit to Beijing, where he is slated to pressure Chinese President Xi Jinping to leverage China’s position as a primary buyer of Iranian oil.