Dhruv Arun — May 5, 2026
Iran has received a U.S. response to its latest peace proposal. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the response, delivered via Pakistan, was now being reviewed. The U.S. has yet to formally confirm it has replied to Tehran. However, President Donald Trump reportedly told Israel’s Kan News on Sunday that the proposal was unacceptable to him. Iranian state media explained that Tehran’s 14-point peace plan asked Washington to withdraw its forces from near Iran’s borders, end its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and for all hostilities to cease, including Israel’s offensive in Lebanon. It also called for an agreement between the two countries to be reached within 30 days.
Iranian state media added that the proposal urged the two warring sides to focus on ending the war rather than extending the current ceasefire. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted by state media as saying that at this stage, there are no nuclear negotiations, which is a key demand by Washington. Iran has repeatedly denied it is seeking a bomb and says its programme is only for peaceful purposes, though the country is the only non-nuclear-armed state to have enriched uranium at a near weapons-grade level. Tehran’s latest proposal was in response to a nine-point US plan, which envisaged a two-month ceasefire.
Trump has announced a plan, dubbed Project Freedom, to escort ships from neutral countries that are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. He has said it will begin on Monday. On Sunday, Trump also announced that the U.S. would help countries with ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the process would start on Monday, warning that if it was interfered with, force would be used. The head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, Ebrahim Azizi, warned that U.S. intervention in the waterway will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.
Iran has severely limited traffic through the strait since the war began in February. The U.S. has also enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports. The U.K.’s Maritime Trade Operations agency says a bulk carrier was attacked by multiple small craft off the Iranian coast, but all crew are safe. Trump has told Israel’s Kan broadcaster that he has reviewed Iran’s plan and deemed it unacceptable. Speaking to reporters the same day in Palm Beach, Florida, he said he had been told about the concept of the deal and that he would soon receive the exact wording.
The U.S. president appeared disinclined to withdraw from the conflict entirely, saying the United States was not leaving and intended to ensure long-term stability. Trump wrote to members of the US Congress on Friday, arguing he did not need to meet a deadline for legislative approval of the war as the conflict had been terminated since a ceasefire took effect on 8 April. The ongoing blockade of Iranian ports, he claimed, did not represent a continuation of the conflict.
By law, a U.S. president must receive the approval of Congress within 60 days of notifying lawmakers of military action, or else cease hostilities. Friday was the 60th day since Trump formally notified Congress of strikes against Iran on March 2, just two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks. Trump’s latest remarks come as U.S. lawmakers are growing publicly frustrated with what many view as a costly, complex war with unclear objectives. Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley called on the Trump administration to begin redeploying forces away from the conflict, arguing that Congressional approval would be necessary for the war to continue.
Another Republican Senator, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, cast doubt on the success of the operation and any potential talks. Analysts say Trump’s plan to help ships exit the Strait of Hormuz is an attempt to break the current standoff with Iran, which has lasted for several weeks. Experts also warn that both sides are probing each other without wanting to return to war, but the risk of miscalculation remains high. The possibility of a return to war is real, with consequences for global trade and stability described as enormous. Even if ships begin moving again, it could take weeks or months for the energy sector to recover.
Extemp Question: Will tensions between the United States and Iran lead to renewed conflict in the Strait of Hormuz?
