On Monday, President Donald Trump characterized the already tenuous ceasefire with Iran as being “on life support,” intensifying his criticism of Tehran’s reaction to a peace proposal backed by the United States. This development has raised concerns that the ongoing conflict, which has persisted for over two months, may escalate further.
During a press briefing at the White House, Trump referred to Iran’s response as “a piece of garbage,” indicating he did not even complete reading the document. “I would call it the weakest right now; after reading that piece of garbage they sent us, I didn’t even finish reading it,” he stated to the media.
He further escalated his rhetoric by likening the ceasefire to a patient in critical condition. “I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a one-percent chance of living,’” Trump added.
The President outright rejected Tehran’s proposal, labeling it “stupid” and asserting that no one would accept it. Earlier, he had posted on Truth Social, declaring Iran’s reaction to U.S. peace initiatives as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” and accused Tehran of “playing games” with the U.S. for decades.
Trump also claimed that Iran had initially consented to surrender its enriched uranium stockpile but later altered its stance. “They said you’re going to have to take it. We were going to go with them. But they changed their mind because they didn’t put it in the paper,” he remarked, as reported by Al Jazeera.
According to Reuters, Trump asserted that Iran was prepared to hand over “the nuclear dust,” referring to its enriched uranium, and claimed that only the U.S. and China could retrieve it.
Describing Iran’s leadership as “lunatics,” Trump reiterated his unwavering position that Iran must not develop nuclear weapons. “The plan is they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he stated.
Despite his strong criticism, Trump indicated that a diplomatic resolution with Iran remains a possibility. “I think it’s very possible. I’ve had a deal with them four or five times; they change their mind,” he told reporters, while labeling Iran’s leadership as “very dishonorable,” as noted by Al Jazeera.
In contrast, Iran defended its response to the U.S. proposal, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei asserting that the U.S. was making “unreasonable demands” and maintaining that Tehran’s reply was “not excessive.”
Additionally, Trump mentioned that he was preparing for a high-level military briefing on Iran at the White House and was contemplating reviving “Project Freedom,” a maritime security initiative related to the Strait of Hormuz, during a phone interview with Fox News. He linked the conflict to broader instability in the Gulf, calling Iran’s missile attacks on Gulf nations a “tremendous strategic mistake.”
This recent exchange has heightened concerns regarding the future of negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict, which has already disrupted global oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s response, reportedly delivered via Pakistan, called for an end to hostilities on all fronts, compensation for war damages, the lifting of sanctions, the removal of the U.S. naval blockade, and assurances against future attacks.
The ongoing tensions have unsettled global energy markets, with oil prices surging sharply following Trump’s dismissal of Iran’s response. Brent crude oil prices exceeded $105 per barrel amid worries about continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
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