Iran rejects US response to peace proposal, insists on its seven conditions

Iran on Tuesday rejected the United States' response to its latest proposal for ending the conflict, insisting that Washington meet all seven of Tehran's demands before the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened. “America’s response to Iran’s rights and demands was not convincing, and they must fully and explicitly address Iran’s seven conditions and act upon them," Iranian Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei wrote on X. “Only in this case will the Strait of Hormuz be reopened," he added.

Tehran has maintained that its seven-point proposal is the only acceptable framework for an agreement. Its demands include American compensation for war damage, an end to US economic pressure, and the lifting of the naval blockade on Iranian ports. The proposal also requires an end to hostilities throughout the region, including in Lebanon and Gaza, where Iranian-backed terrorist organizations operate. Additional conditions include the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and a reduction in the American military presence in the Middle East.

Iran is also demanding a permanent end to the war rather than a temporary ceasefire. The proposal rules out future negotiations over the country's nuclear and missile programs. Rezaei's comments came amid uncertainty over whether President Donald Trump would authorize additional military strikes against Iran. On Monday, Trump downplayed speculation that major hostilities could resume immediately following Tuesday's midterm elections, arguing that the United States had already achieved victory.

“We had a war with Iran. We won," Trump told reporters. “I don’t know if you even call it a war because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months." The President subsequently expressed optimism about reaching an agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end Iran's nuclear program. "Oil Prices are DROPPING LIKE A ROCK, down almost $10 a Barrel, A RECORD, because people feel that there will not be a War with Iran. Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible.

It could happen!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News later Monday, Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remained a central American objective. "We cannot let Iran, an evil nation, who has killed many of our people, Soleimani is an example, no longer with us, but killed many of our people, we cannot let them have a nuclear weapon, and we won't," he stated. Trump also warned that the United States retained the capability to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility at short notice.

"We bombed out all of their potential nuclear power. Now, we might have to go after Pickaxe [Mountain], but that's not a big deal. We can do it in, literally, we can do that in one hour, okay, as soon as we want, at any time we want." Despite the warning, Trump maintained that Tehran remained interested in negotiations, saying the Iranians "want to make a deal very badly, there's a very good chance we make a deal."