U. S. President Donald Trump stated he had not yet reviewed the details of a new peace proposal from Iran, expressing skepticism about accepting it because he believed Iranians had not faced enough consequences for their actions. His comments followed a day of contemplation about potentially restarting airstrikes in the ongoing conflict he initiated over two months ago.
On the same day, Israel advised thousands of Lebanese to evacuate southern Lebanese villages, increasing tensions in a war involving Hezbollah, Iran’s allies. This conflict runs parallel to the U. S.-Iran war and raises complications for broader peace talks. Iran demands that talks with Washington cannot resume without a ceasefire in Lebanon, which was invaded by Israel in March after Hezbollah fired across the border in support of Iran.
Despite an earlier truce between Lebanon and Israel, fighting has persisted, prompting the Israeli military to issue warnings for civilians in 11 towns to relocate at least 1,000 meters away from their homes due to ongoing military operations against Hezbollah, which Israel accused of violating the ceasefire.
The U. S. and Israel halted their bombing campaign against Iran four weeks ago without making progress toward a resolution of the war, which has severely disrupted global energy supplies and raised concerns about a potential economic downturn. Trump mentioned on social media that although he would review Iran’s proposal, he found it hard to believe it would be satisfactory, referring to Iran’s actions over the past 47 years.
An Iranian official had indicated that the proposal would prioritize reopening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and ending the U. S. blockade on Iran, delaying discussions on nuclear matters. Trump previously expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s proposal but indicated he was awaiting more details on it.
In response to a question about possibly restarting strikes on Iran, Trump did not provide a definitive answer and pointed to the situation’s fluidity. The Iranian proposal appears to conflict with U. S. demands for Iran to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of any agreement to end hostilities.
Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful but is open to discussing limitations in return for lifting sanctions, reflecting a significant shift in negotiations. Tehran seeks the withdrawal of U. S. forces from nearby areas, lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, and addressing compensation. Iranian media reported that the proposal could assist in facilitating an agreement by moving the complex nuclear issue to a later stage of talks.
With information from Reuters
