CNN's official website reported on May 10 local time that as the U.S. and Iran are striving to reach an agreement to end the conflict that has lasted for months, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran's recent peace proposal was "completely unacceptable."
The report said he tweeted on Sunday: "I just read the response from Iran's so-called 'representatives.' I don't like it — completely unacceptable!"
Trump's rejection stems most directly from the fundamental disagreement between the two sides over what should be discussed first.
Iran's position: Through intermediaries in Pakistan, Iran presented a 14-point proposal whose core demand is to end the war first. Iran demands the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, the lifting of maritime blockades, the unfreezing of assets, compensation payments, and explicitly states that nuclear issues will not be discussed at this stage. For them, control over the Strait of Hormuz and ending military hostilities are non-negotiable bottom lines; nuclear issues can be deferred.
U.S. position: Trump has consistently treated nuclear issues as the central bargaining chip and red line in negotiations. He demands that Iran completely abandon its nuclear program and accept surprise inspections. In his view, without resolving the nuclear issue, all other discussions are meaningless.
This fundamental dispute over whether to "stop the fighting first" or "abandon nuclear ambitions first" lies at the heart of the impasse, which is why Trump outright rejected Iran’s proposal.
Trump’s statement is largely a strategic move in negotiation. He frequently employs the tactic of setting high initial demands and sending strong signals to force the other side to concede.
By publicly accusing Iran of "delaying and misleading" the United States, he portrays Iran as unwilling to pursue peace, thereby gaining domestic political support and paving the way for potential military action.
Currently, both total war and complete cessation of talks are impossible. Both sides are applying maximum pressure, yet each still retains some flexibility.
Although Iran’s proposal has been rejected, it continues communicating through channels such as Pakistan, leaving diplomatic doors open.
While Trump’s rhetoric is harsh, he has not directly announced the collapse of negotiations or the resumption of large-scale military operations. Instead, he said he would "wait and see."
In summary, Trump’s “completely unacceptable” stance appears more like a high-stakes game of brinkmanship. He aims to use the toughest posture possible to push Iran toward concessions on nuclear issues while simultaneously securing domestic political capital. However, Iran remains firm on its core demands—ending the war and lifting blockades—and will not yield an inch. In the short term, both sides are likely to continue this tense standoff of "negotiating while maintaining military pressure and testing each other’s limits," with any real breakthrough remaining distant. At the very moment of his statement, the U.S. military launched the "Freedom Operation" escort mission, deploying 15,000 personnel, missile destroyers, and over a hundred aircraft. This "talk-and-fight" posture is designed to exert maximum pressure on Iran.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864842793647104/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.