Trump Rejects Iran's Peace Deal Response
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- Iran delivered its response to the latest U.S. amendments on a draft peace plan to end the war on Thursday via Pakistani mediators, a regional official told Axios.
- Trump told reporters he is "not satisfied" and "not happy" with Iran's offer, describing its leadership as "very disjointed" with factions that disagree on the way forward.
- The U.S. amendments, sent Monday by envoy Steve Witkoff, focus on inserting nuclear issues back into the draft and require Iran not to move enriched uranium from bombed nuclear facilities or restart activity there while negotiations continue.
- Trump huddled for 45 minutes Thursday in the Situation Room with VP JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Witkoff, while CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine briefed new plans for possible military action.
- Trump framed his choices as either "blast the hell out of them" or make a deal, saying he prefers not to resume bombing but that "there are options."
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told counterparts from Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar that Tehran is ready to pursue diplomacy "if the excessive demands, threatening rhetoric, and provocative actions of the American side change."
Why it matters: The diplomatic channel stays open through Pakistani mediation even as Trump reviews fresh military plans from CENTCOM and the Joint Chiefs chairman. The core impasse is nuclear: Witkoff's amendments demand Iran freeze activity at bombed nuclear sites and leave enriched uranium in place, a condition Tehran's proposal had explicitly deferred to a later stage.
