WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest counterproposal to a U.S. ceasefire framework on Sunday, describing it as “totally unacceptable” and leaving negotiations deadlocked, officials and diplomats said.
Trump posted on Truth Social late Sunday that he had reviewed Iran’s response delivered via Pakistani mediators and found it unsatisfactory. “I don’t like it,” he wrote, according to the post. On Monday, he told reporters the fragile ceasefire that has largely held since early April was “on massive life support.”
The impasse follows weeks of indirect talks aimed at ending the conflict that began earlier in 2026, which has involved U.S. and Iranian forces and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran delivered its reply to the latest U.S. proposal on Sunday, according to Iranian state media and U.S. officials. Tehran’s counteroffer reportedly included demands for an end to hostilities, lifting of sanctions on oil sales, removal of the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, and unfreezing of assets.
U.S. officials said the Iranian response did not adequately address core concerns, particularly Tehran’s nuclear program. Trump has insisted any final agreement must include verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear activities. Iranian officials, quoted in state media, described the U.S. position as demanding “surrender” and insisted their latest offer was “reasonable and generous.”
The ceasefire, initially agreed on April 8 and later extended, has been tested by sporadic exchanges of fire but has prevented full-scale resumption of hostilities. Oil prices rose in response to the deadlock, with Brent crude trading above $100 a barrel on Monday.
Pakistani mediators have been central to the indirect talks. Details of the specific U.S. proposal and Iranian counterproposal remain limited, with both sides releasing selective information through public statements.
On Monday, Trump reiterated that the United States seeks a “complete victory” and would not accept what he called a weak agreement. Iranian state media reported that Tehran would “never bow” to pressure.
As of Tuesday, the ceasefire remained in effect, though diplomats described the situation as precarious. No immediate resumption of major military operations was reported, but tensions in the Gulf region persist amid the stalled diplomacy.
U.S. officials have not set a new deadline for progress but have signaled that the naval blockade will remain in place. Iranian representatives have continued to engage through mediators, according to officials familiar with the process.
