Iran has officially rejected the latest US proposal to end the war, calling it a “surrender” plan. According to Iranian state media, the response sent by Tehran to Washington rejects the American offer and sets a series of conditions for any potential agreement.
Among Iran's main demands are the payment of war reparations by the US, recognition of full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of economic sanctions, and the release of frozen Iranian assets abroad.
The development comes just hours after US President Donald Trump publicly described Tehran's response as "totally unacceptable".
"I don't like it, totally unacceptable!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without providing further details on the Iranian counterproposal.
On the other hand, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran "will never bow to the enemy" and that negotiations do not mean surrender.
According to state television IRIB, Tehran is seeking an end to the war "on all fronts," especially in Lebanon, where Israel continues operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah, as well as guarantees for the safety of maritime transport in the Persian Gulf.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal indicate that Iran has proposed reducing some of its enriched uranium and transferring the rest to a third country, on the condition that the material be returned if negotiations fail or the US withdraws from the deal.
Tensions in the region remain high, partly due to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route through which about a fifth of the world's oil supplies pass. Iran has imposed blockades and taxation mechanisms on ships passing through it, while the US and its allies consider Iranian control over this maritime corridor unacceptable.
Meanwhile, Britain and France are leading efforts to create an international security coalition in the region. French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris did not plan a military deployment in Hormuz, but a coordinated security mission with Iran.
The situation further escalated after reports of drone attacks in the Persian Gulf. The United Arab Emirates announced that its air defense systems shot down two drones launched from Iran, while Kuwait reported other attempted attacks in its airspace.
Qatar also confirmed that a cargo ship was hit by a drone near its coast, while Iranian media claimed that the ship was sailing under the American flag.
In a strong reaction, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament's national security committee, Ebrahim Rezaei, warned the US that "any attack on Iranian ships will receive a strong and decisive response."
According to Iranian state media, military chief Ali Abdollahi held a meeting with the country's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, where he received "new instructions for continuing operations against the enemy."
