President Trump says Iran’s response to peace plan is ‘totally unacceptable’
Details were not immediately available, but President Trump said Iran’s response to a potential peace plan was “totally unacceptable.”
In a May 10 social media post, President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s response to the United States’ latest proposal to end the war, declaring it “totally unacceptable,” without going into detail.
The post dashed hopes that the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, which has caused widespread damage in the Middle East, paralyzed maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and pushed up global energy prices, would end soon. The United States had proposed an end to the fighting, the reopening of a vital oil waterway and a reduction in Iran’s nuclear program.
Reuters, citing Iranian state media, reported that Iran’s offer emphasized its sovereignty over the strait, called for war reparations from the United States, and disguised the U.S. offer as a capitulation to President Trump’s demands.
“We will never bow before our enemies, and even if talk of dialogue or negotiations arises, it does not mean surrender or withdrawal,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a May 10 post on X. “Rather, the goal is to defend the rights of the Iranian state and defend its interests with decisive force.”
Tense days of attacks in the region
Recently, fighting has raged in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the largest since a ceasefire began.
On May 10, the United Arab Emirates announced that it had intercepted two drones from Iran, and Qatar condemned a drone attack that attacked a cargo ship from Abu Dhabi in its territorial waters. Kuwait said its air defenses responded to a hostile drone that entered its airspace.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister for international affairs, Kazem Ghalibabadi, warned France and Britain that any possible naval deployment to the strait would be countered with military force.
“We emphasize that in the event of the presence of French and British warships, or warships of other countries potentially accompanying the unlawful and internationally illegal actions of the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, a decisive and immediate response will be taken,” Foreign Minister Gharibabadi wrote in X on May 10.
French President Emmanuel Macron told a news conference in Kenya that France was “never considering” sending troops to the region, but was “ready” to help secure the strait once the fighting ends.
“We have co-piloted with the UK, built an extraordinary mission that brings together 50 countries and international organizations, worked with Iran and resolved the issue with all countries in the region and the United States, so that we can ensure the resumption of maritime traffic as soon as the situation is right,” Macron said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says war is ‘not over’ in ’60 Minutes’ interview
In an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired on May 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war was “not over.”
In excerpts of the interview published hours before Trump’s post, the prime minister claimed that Iran still had nuclear material and that it could be removed by “going in and taking it out.” Prime Minister Netanyahu said President Trump told him he wanted to “go in there” and refused to rule out the use of U.S. troops to recover nuclear material.
“I’m not going to talk about military means,” Netanyahu said. “I think it’s physically possible.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu added that military goals have not yet been achieved. Israel receives about $3.8 billion a year in military aid from the United States, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants to withdraw military aid.
“I would like to see zero U.S. financial support, which is the financial component of U.S. military cooperation,” he said. “I don’t want to wait until the next Congress.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s appearance on the CBS News program came as support for Israel in the United States hit a new low.
According to a survey released on April 7 by the Pew Research Center, 60% of all American adults have a favorable opinion of Israel, compared to 53% a year ago, a 20-point change from 2022 onwards. Only 37% of respondents had a favorable opinion of Israel.
Crude oil prices soar due to negotiating slump
Oil prices rose at the beginning of the trading week following reports of a breakdown in negotiations.
Brent crude oil futures rose $3.21 to $104.50 per barrel by 6pm ET on May 10, while US West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures rose $3.06 to $98.48 per barrel.
The jump occurred even though the Al-Kharaitiyat, a carrier operated by Qatar Energy, safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz and arrived at Pakistan’s Qasim Port, Reuters reported, citing data from shipping analysis firm Kpler. It is the first time a Qatari vessel carrying liquefied natural gas has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel began war on February 28.
Iranian state media announced on May 10 that a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier bound for Brazil, which had attempted to cross the strait on May 4, had passed through the route designated by the Iranian military.
Contributed by: Reuters
