Tehran declared on Sunday, May 3, that the United States will have to choose between an "impossible" military operation or a "bad agreement" in the Middle East conflict, after Donald Trump warned that he could reject a new proposal from Iran to resume peace talks. Negotiations between both countries have been stalled since the ceasefire came into force on April 8.

First modification: 05/04/2026 - 00:10Last modification: 05/04/2026 - 01:41

Iran's Revolutionary Guard declared Sunday that the United States faces a choice between an "impossible" military operation or a deal with Tehran, after Donald Trump disparaged Iran's latest peace proposal.

Negotiations between the two countries have been stalled since the ceasefire came into force on April 8, and only one round of direct peace talks has been held to date.

Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that Tehran had presented a 14-point plan "focused on ending the war" and that Washington had already responded to it in a message to Pakistani mediators.

"We are reviewing this matter and will take the necessary measures in this regard," spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state television.

Read alsoIran presents a new proposal to unblock peace negotiations with the US.

However, Trump had already rejected the offer.

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"I will soon review the plan Iran just sent us, but I can't imagine it will be acceptable as they have not yet paid a high enough price for what they have done to humanity and the world over the last 47 years," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Iran 'will not capitulate', says conflict resolution expert

The American news website 'Axios' reported, citing two sources briefed on the proposal, that it established "a one-month deadline for negotiations on an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and Lebanon."

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In a statement issued Sunday, the Revolutionary Guard attempted to put the responsibility back in Trump's hands, saying he must choose between "an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran."

"The United States' room for maneuver to make decisions has been reduced," they stated.

Washington's European allies are worried that the longer the strait remains closed, the more their economies will suffer, and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has demanded it be reopened.

In a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqhchi, Wadephul stressed that Germany supported a negotiated solution, but that "Iran must completely and verifiably renounce nuclear weapons and immediately open the Strait of Hormuz."

'If they misbehave'

In a brief interview with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, the US president declined to specify what could trigger new US military action.

"If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we'll see," he said. "But it's a possibility that could certainly happen."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US naval blockade was just one part of a broader economic embargo.

"We are suffocating the regime and they cannot pay their soldiers. This is a true economic blockade, and it affects all sectors of the government; everyone is collaborating," he declared in an interview with 'Fox News'.

In an even more bellicose speech, Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, claimed that Iranian forces would sink American ships.

"The United States is the only pirate in the world that owns aircraft carriers. Our ability to confront pirates is no less than our ability to sink warships. Prepare to face a graveyard of your aircraft carriers and forces," he posted on X.

There is no evidence that Iran sunk any US military ships during the war.

Earlier in the week, Axios reported that Trump envoy Steve Witkoff had called for Tehran's nuclear program to return to the negotiating table.

However, Iran's mission to the UN pointed to the huge US nuclear arsenal, accusing Washington on Saturday of "hypocritical behaviour" towards Iran's own atomic ambitions.

'Trying to resist'

Iran has maintained absolute control over the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, disrupting important flows of oil, gas and fertilizer to the global economy, while the United States has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports.

Oil prices are about 50% above pre-war levels.

Crude oil prices hit their highest level in four years as the war with Iran threatens to drag on.

The vice president of the Iranian parliament, Ali Nikzad, said that under the bill being considered for the management of the strait, 30% of the tolls collected would go to military infrastructure, and the rest would be reserved for "economic development."

"Managing the Strait of Hormuz is more important than acquiring nuclear weapons," he said.

In Iran, the economic impact of the war is worsening, with reduced oil exports and inflation exceeding 50 percent.

"Everyone is trying to hold on, but... they are falling apart," Amir, a 40-year-old Tehran resident, told an AFP reporter outside the country.

"We haven't seen much economic impact yet because everyone had some savings. They had some gold and dollars for contingencies. When they run out, things will change."

Read alsoIs control of the Strait of Hormuz a more powerful tool for Iran than uranium?

With AFP

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