Trump Rejects Iran Ceasefire Counteroffer, Leaving Truce on Life Support

President Donald Trump on Monday declared the month-old ceasefire with Iran on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s response to a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the war. The president called the Iranian document a “piece of garbage” that he did not finish reading, saying it left the truce with roughly a one percent chance of survival.

The exchange has raised fresh fears that fighting could resume after more than ten weeks of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. Washington’s draft agreement had sought strict limits on Iran’s nuclear program, including the removal of its enriched uranium stockpile. Tehran’s counterproposal instead demanded an end to the U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, the lifting of sanctions, compensation for war damage, and guarantees of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials described their conditions as reasonable and accused the United States of making excessive demands.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran had previously signaled willingness to relinquish its enriched uranium but then omitted that commitment from the written response. “They agree with us, and then they take it back,” he said. He added that only the United States or China could safely handle the material, which he referred to as “nuclear dust.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei defended the proposal, insisting that his country’s requests for an end to what Tehran calls “maritime piracy” and the release of frozen assets were not excessive.

The breakdown comes amid mounting evidence of the war’s human and economic toll inside Iran. According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, more than 3,600 people have been killed by U.S. and Israeli strikes, including 254 children. Iranian state media reported that the conflict has eliminated roughly one million jobs, with a single online job platform recording a record 318,000 résumés submitted in one day last month. Oil prices rose again on Monday, with Brent crude surpassing $103 a barrel as markets reacted to the stalled diplomacy.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants a deal and has extended the ceasefire unilaterally, yet he has also threatened to resume strikes on Iranian infrastructure if negotiations fail. On Sunday he posted on social media that Iran’s response was “totally unacceptable,” while administration officials indicated he would meet with his national security team to consider next steps, including possible military action. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were among those expected to attend.

Critics note that the president’s eagerness to declare victory has clashed with his unwillingness to accept terms that fall short of total Iranian capitulation. Iran, for its part, continues to insist that any final agreement must address what it sees as the root causes of the conflict, including long-standing sanctions and regional proxy fighting. With both sides now appearing farther apart than they were a week ago, the prospect of renewed combat through the Strait of Hormuz and beyond looms larger than at any point since the ceasefire began on April 8.