WASHINGTON, May 11 - President Donald Trump said on Monday that the ceasefire with Iran was "on life support," after dismissing Tehran's response to a U.S. peace proposal as "stupid." Trump characterized the Iranian reply as unacceptable and said he did not finish reading it, calling it "a piece of garbage."
Trump's rapid rejection of Iran's response on Sunday has heightened concerns that the conflict, now in its tenth week, will continue and further disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The president said the ceasefire was "the weakest right now," attributing that assessment to Iran's written reply.
Washington had recently put forward a proposal intended to reopen negotiations. In turn, Iran on Sunday issued a response centered on ending the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah militants are engaged against U.S. ally Israel. The Iranian reply, as outlined in the response, included several distinct demands and positions.
Tehran's response called for compensation for war-related damage, underscored its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and urged the United States to end its naval blockade. The response also demanded guarantees against further attacks, lifting of sanctions, and removal of a ban on Iranian oil sales.
Separately on Monday, Trump said Iran was willing to hand over what he called "the nuclear dust," referring to Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, and added that only China and the United States have the capability to retrieve it. These remarks followed the exchange of proposals and rebuttals between Washington and Tehran.
The rapid sequence of a U.S. proposal, an Iranian response, and the U.S. dismissal of that response leaves the ceasefire's prospects uncertain and keeps attention on the Strait of Hormuz, where disruption to shipping has been a prominent concern during the conflict.