Netanyahu Insists War with Iran Not Over as Trump Rejects Iranian Counter-Proposal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the war with Iran is “not over,” emphasizing that Israel’s key objective remains the removal of Iran’s enriched uranium and the dismantling of its nuclear facilities.

U.S. President Donald Trump has described Iran’s terms for ending the conflict as “totally unacceptable,” increasing the prospect of renewed hostilities following weeks of negotiations. Iran rejected a U.S. proposal delivered earlier and conveyed its response through Pakistani mediators.

According to details released by Iranian media, Tehran seeks to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon. Its demands include U.S. payment of war damages, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of American sanctions, and the release of Iran’s blocked assets. The response also calls for an end to the U.S. naval blockade, guarantees against further attacks, and the removal of restrictions on Iranian oil sales, as reported by the semiofficial Palestine news agency.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, stated: “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called representatives. I don’t like it. Totally unacceptable.” He provided no further details on the Iranian counter-proposal.

The American proposal had focused on extending a truce in the Gulf to facilitate talks on a final settlement of the conflict and Iran’s nuclear program. Iranian state television reported that Tehran viewed the proposal as amounting to surrender.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on social media that Iran “will never bow down to the enemy” and that any dialogue or negotiation “does not mean surrender or retreat.”

Iran has reportedly proposed diluting some of its highly enriched uranium and transferring the rest to a third country, while seeking guarantees that the material would be returned if negotiations fail or if Washington withdraws from any agreement. A senior U.S. administration official indicated that Trump is expected to press Chinese President Xi Jinping, a major buyer of Iranian oil, on the issue during an upcoming visit to Beijing.

Tensions in the region escalated earlier when Iran imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil prices and unsettling financial markets. The U.S. Navy has been blockading Iranian ports, at times disabling or diverting vessels.

Reports indicate Britain and France are deploying vessels to the area. Iran has warned that any deployment by Britain and France would require a “decisive and immediate response.”

French President Emmanuel Macron clarified that France “had never envisaged a naval deployment in the Strait of Hormuz but rather a security mission coordinated with Iran.” He added, “We have never considered deploying forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That has never been France’s option.”

Britain and France are set to host a multinational meeting of defense ministers from more than 40 nations to discuss military plans aimed at restoring trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz.