Ball in US court, says Iran after Trump hints he may reject Tehran's new proposal

Iran has sent a new 14-point peace proposal to the United States via Pakistan. Trump said he would review it but suggested Tehran had not yet paid a big enough price.

In Short

• Trump doubts Iran's peace offer, says they haven't paid enough price
• Iran sent 14-point peace plan via Pak including US troop withdrawal
• Oil prices rise as US-Iran tensions impact global energy supply

Iran has said the next move rests with Washington after the United States signalled scepticism over Tehran’s latest peace offer. Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi told diplomats in Tehran that “the ball is in the United States’ court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach,” adding that Iran is “prepared for both paths."

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would review a new peace proposal from Tehran but cast doubt on its prospects, stating that Iran had not yet “paid a big enough price." Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump said, “I’ll let you know about it later,” adding that “they’re going to give me the exact wording now."

Shortly afterward, Trump posted on social media that he “can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years.” He had already rejected a previous Iranian proposal earlier this week.

Two semi-official Iranian news outlets, Tasnim and Fars, reported that Iran sent the US a new 14-point proposal via Pakistan. The development comes even as a ceasefire in the war—launched by the United States and Israel in late February—has been in effect since April 8, following one failed round of peace talks in Pakistan.

Washington has repeatedly said it will not end the war without a deal that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the primary objective Trump cited when he ordered strikes in February during ongoing nuclear negotiations. Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful.

According to reports, Tehran’s proposal includes the withdrawal of US forces from areas surrounding Iran, lifting the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, releasing Iran’s frozen assets, payment of compensation, lifting sanctions, and ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. The proposal also calls for a new control mechanism for the strait. Reuters and other organisations have reported that Tehran is also proposing to reopen the strait before nuclear issues are resolved.

Speaking in Florida, Trump indicated that further military action remains a possibility. “If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we’ll see,” he said. “But it’s a possibility that could happen, certainly.”

Meanwhile, the United States has warned shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The warning extends beyond cash to include “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies.

Iran has maintained a stranglehold over the strait since the war began, disrupting major global flows of oil, gas and fertiliser. In response, the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, cutting off critical oil revenues for Tehran’s struggling economy. Oil prices have surged to about 50% above pre-war levels amid the escalating standoff.

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