Trump Rejects Iran’s Peace Offer, Insists Deal Must Be on U.S. Terms

The administration weighed an offer that would lift restrictions on Iranian ports against longstanding demands to halt nuclear activities. Officials framed the proposal as a test of U.S. leverage rather than a path to immediate de-escalation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Trump is unlikely to accept a deal that delays nuclear program talks. Trump insisted that any agreement must bar Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon and be negotiated on his timeline.

Accepting the proposal now could be perceived as a political setback for the president, who has repeatedly framed Iran’s nuclear capability as a nonnegotiable threat. The White House maintains that the offer was an improvement over initial expectations while holding to stricter conditions.

What to watch next is whether backchannel negotiations adjust the sequence of concessions without altering the core demand for U.S.-led terms.