A woman walks past an anti-US billboard depicting US President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, in Tehran, Iran, May 2, 2026. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

President Donald Trump has swiftly rejected Iran‘s response to a US peace proposal to end the 10-week-old conflict between the two countries, describing the Iranian offer as “totally unacceptable.”

Days after Washington floated a proposal aimed at reopening negotiations, Iran on Sunday released a response focused on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where US ally Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.

Tehran also demanded compensation for war damage, emphasized its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and called on the United States to end its naval blockade, guarantee no further attacks, lift sanctions, and remove a ban on Iranian oil sales.

Within hours, Trump dismissed Tehran’s offer in a social media post.

“I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, without giving further detail.

Trump added on Monday that the ceasefire with Iran was “on life support,” after dismissing Tehran’s response to the US peace proposal as “stupid.”

“I would call it the weakest right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us, I didn’t even finish reading it,” Trump said of the ceasefire. “It’s on life support.”

On Monday, Trump also claimed Iran is willing to give the US “the nuclear dust,” referring to Iran‘s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and said only China and the US have the capability to retrieve it.

Trump’s response has fueled concerns that the conflict, which began on Feb. 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, will drag on and continue to paralyze shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing oil prices higher on Monday.

The US had proposed an end to fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran‘s nuclear program.

Tehran responded on Monday by defending its stance.

“Our demand is legitimate: demanding an end to the war, lifting the [US] blockade and piracy, and releasing Iranian assets that have been unjustly frozen in banks due to US pressure,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.

“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and establishing security in the region and Lebanon were other demands of Iran, which are considered a generous and responsible offer.”

Brent crude oil futures lost some strong early gains on Monday to trade nearly 2% higher at around $103 a barrel, as the deadlock left the Strait of Hormuz largely closed. Before the war began, the narrow waterway carried one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, and has since become a central pressure point in the conflict.

Disruption caused by the near-closure of the strait has forced oil producers to cut exports, and OPEC oil output dropped further in April to the lowest in more than two decades, a Reuters survey showed on Monday.

TRICKLE OF SHIPPING THROUGH HORMUZ

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a trickle compared to before the war. Shipping data on Kpler and LSEG showed that three tankers laden with crude exited the waterway last week, with trackers switched off to avoid Iranian attack.

A second Qatari LNG tanker was attempting to transit the strait, the data showed, days after the first such cargo crossed under an arrangement involving Iran and Pakistan.

Sporadic flare-ups around the strait in recent days have tested a ceasefire that has paused all-out warfare since it took effect in early April.

In the United States, surveys show the war is unpopular with voters facing sharply higher gasoline prices less than six months before nationwide elections that will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress.

Washington has also struggled to build international support, with NATO allies refusing to send ships to reopen the waterway without a full peace deal and an internationally mandated mission.

Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister of Turkey, which has been liaising closely with the US, Iran, and mediator Pakistan since the start of the war, will hold talks in Qatar on Tuesday on the conflict and on ensuring navigational safety in the strait, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

TRUMP SET TO DISCUSS IRAN IN BEIJING

The next diplomatic or military steps remain unclear. Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday, where Iran is set to be among the topics discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping as pressure mounts to end the conflict and the energy crisis it has triggered.

Trump has been leaning on China to use its influence to push Tehran toward a deal with Washington.

Iran‘s foreign ministry spokesperson Baghaei suggested China could instead use the visit to push back against US objectives in the Gulf. “Our Chinese friends know very well how to use these opportunities to warn about the consequences of the US’ illegal and bullying actions on regional peace and security,” he said.

Addressing whether combat operations against Iran were over, Trump said in remarks aired on Sunday: “They are defeated, but that doesn’t mean they’re done.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war was not over because there was “more work to be done” to remove enriched uranium from Iran, dismantle enrichment facilities, and address its proxy forces and ballistic missile capabilities.

Netanyahu told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that the preferred route was diplomacy, but he did not rule out the use of force.

Despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts, risks to shipping lanes and regional economies remain high.

On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted two drones launched from Iran, while Qatar condemned a drone strike on a cargo ship in its waters. Kuwait reported that its air defenses had dealt with hostile drones entering its airspace.

Clashes have also continued in southern Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16.