The Trump administration’s framework proposes a pause in fighting until authorities develop a permanent peace plan.
President Trump says ceasefire will remain despite attacks from both US and Iran
President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about a ceasefire between the United States and Iran after both sides launched attacks.
WASHINGTON – Iran has accepted President Donald Trump’s offer to end wartime hostilities and start peace talks on a range of contentious issues, Iran’s IRNA news agency reports.
Details about Iran’s response were not immediately available, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment. U.S. Energy Secretary Christopher Wright appeared on “Meet the Press” on May 10 and said the Trump administration had not yet heard “a clear solution” from Iran.
IRNA reported that Iran has sent a response to President Trump’s proposal to intermediary Pakistan.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appeared to mention the latest proposal in a May 10 post to X.
“We will never bow before our enemies. Even if talk of dialogue and negotiations comes up, it does not mean surrender or withdrawal,” he said in the post, translated from the original Persian. “Rather, the goal is to protect the rights of the Iranian state and defend its national interests with decisive force.”
The ongoing negotiations come as a month-long ceasefire between the two countries appears to be holding shaky despite naval gunfire near the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.
Gasoline prices appear to be stabilizing on the back of hopes for a peace framework with Iran. Wright on May 10 did not rule out the possibility of eliminating the gas tax to reduce costs for U.S. consumers, but declined to predict whether prices could rise above $5 a gallon or below $3 a gallon by the end of the year.
Here’s what we know so far about the war.
A short-term proposal to suspend hostilities and resume negotiations
The U.S. plan proposes a pause in fighting to hammer out a permanent peace plan, but has so far failed to gain support among Iranian negotiators. The proposal also calls for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for a month, perhaps one of Iran’s most powerful levers of leverage against the United States in the ongoing war.
According to multiple media reports, the plan was presented by the Trump administration as a moratorium on fighting in order to restart peace talks. Following peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 12, the United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement. Efforts to return to the negotiating table have since stalled, but President Trump has repeatedly extended the self-imposed ceasefire deadline.
The latest round of talks comes after a week of sporadic clashes amid a month-long ceasefire in the Persian Gulf.
What does this proposal mean for gas prices?
The national average price of gasoline rose to $4.55 a gallon last week, the highest price since $5.01 in 2022, according to AAA. Oil prices have fallen slightly amid conflicting negotiations between Iran and the Trump administration.
Asked on “Meet the Press” if gas prices could reach $5 a gallon again or fall below $3 this year, Wright declined to make a prediction.
“If we can move freely across the Strait of Hormuz, energy prices will come down,” he said.
The Energy Secretary has indicated that officials are open to suspending the federal gasoline tax to lower prices for consumers.
“This administration supports any steps that are taken to lower prices at the pump and lower prices for Americans,” he said.
Democrats harshly criticize Trump over war as polls slump
Meanwhile, Democrats continue to criticize President Trump and his administration over the war. Public opinion polls since the war began have consistently shown that the conflict is largely unpopular with the American public, with rising gasoline prices being the top concern.
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker said in an interview with “Meet the Press” on May 10 that the president has “no way out” of the war, condemning the conflict because of its impact on American deaths, costs and energy prices.
“This will continue for months, and those who promised to lower prices and avoid foreign ties will continue to feel the pain,” Booker said.
A Marist poll released on May 6 found that 6 in 10 Americans (60%) disapproved of President Trump’s handling of the war against Iran, saying it had “done more harm than good.”
The poll, conducted in collaboration with NPR and PBS News, found that 33% approved and 7% were unsure, up 6 points from 54% in March.
Ship off the coast of Qatar hit by drone
On the morning of May 10th, a cargo ship was attacked by a drone off the coast of Qatar, causing a small fire on board. The British military said no injuries were reported and authorities were investigating the source of the projectile.
The attack is the latest to threaten the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran as peace negotiations continue.
The navy has been firing artillery near the Strait of Hormuz since fighting ceased more than a month ago. On May 7, the U.S. Navy reported that it had disabled two Iranian tankers that were attempting to enter a port in the Islamic Republic.
Iran continues to restrict traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States has blocked the country’s ports.
