Iran, on Sunday (May 10, 2026), it has responded to the US peace proposal through mediator Pakistan, in which it has suggested the end of hostilities and maritime security in the Gulf region, including the Strait of Hormuz, as the first step towards normalisation
“Our response focuses on ending the war throughout the region, especially in Lebanon, and resolving differences with Washington,” an Iranian official was quoted as saying by several West Asian media platforms.
The official was quoted as saying that the Iranian response also included “negotiations regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear programme, and the lifting of sanctions.”
The official said Tehran’s response was “realistic and positive” and placed the ball in the US court now. “Washington’s positive response to our response will move the negotiations forward quickly. The choice now lies with Washington,” the official added.
Soon after, US President Donald Trump reacted to the Iranian response, accusing it of “playing games” and strongly noting that it was “totally unacceptable” to the US.
Iran “has been playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World, for 47 years,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “They will be laughing no longer!”
Later, the US President posted again, saying, “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives’. I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”
The US had sent Iran a 14-point proposal last week for negotiations. The US had proposed that Iran would have to agree not to develop a nuclear weapon and stop all uranium enrichment for at least 12 years.
Washington had said Tehran would also be required to hand over its estimated 440kg (970lb) stock of uranium enriched to 60%. In return, the US would gradually lift sanctions, release billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, and halt its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, the Iranian embassy in India rejected the US plan for negotiations, saying accepting the 14-point proposal would have meant “submission” to Trump’s “excessive demands.”
In an X post, the embassy said Iran’s response to the US proposal reflected the “fundamental rights” of the Iranian nation.
This post came in response to Trump’s reaction, which called the Iranian reply to the US proposals “unacceptable.”
“Iran’s plan stresses the necessity of the US paying war reparations and affirms Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz,” the embassy said.
It said Tehran also “understood the need for an end to sanctions and the release of the country’s seized assets and properties.”
Trump also warned that the US would target any Iranian trying to reach that country’s highly enriched uranium, saying the nuclear material was under constant American military surveillance.
In a media interview, Trump appeared to play down the significance of the uranium, which is believed to be buried under the rubble of nuclear facilities, remaining in Iran for now. “We’ll get that at some point, whenever we want. We have it surveilled,” Trump said.
“I did a thing called Space Force, and they are watching. If somebody walked in, they could tell you his name, his address, the number of his badge … If anybody got near the place, we would know about it, and we’d blow them up,” he said.
Iran’s highly enriched uranium is one of the major sticking points between Washington and Tehran in ceasefire negotiations to end the 10-week US-Israel war on Iran.
The US wants Iran to transfer the uranium outside the country and completely shut down its nuclear programme, but Tehran has stressed that it will not give up its right to a domestic enrichment programme.
This stalemate in the negotiations came just a week before Trump is scheduled to visit China for a summit meeting with his counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing. China, being one of the largest importers of Iranian oil, would like to discuss the matter in person during Trump’s visit.
Already, ahead of this stalemate in talks, the US and Iran have exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz over the American navy’s escort operations for cargo vessels to pass through the narrow waterway. Yet, both nations claim to be adhering to the April 8 ceasefire announcement.
Trump believes that Iran is “collapsing financially” and losing millions of dollars a day due to Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian ports, which began on April 13.
However, the latest disagreement over the negotiation terms has frayed the fragile ceasefire, as both sides attacked each other’s military assets with warships, attack boats, missiles, and drones.