Iran questions U.S. peace terms as Trump threatens renewed bombing

Iran has pushed back on U.S. peace terms with a 14-point proposal that seeks to end the war within 30 days, while Donald Trump has warned that bombing could resume if Tehran does not agree. The exchange has unfolded against a fragile ceasefire, the pressure of fighting that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026, and a widening crisis tied to the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran sent its proposal through Pakistan, the mediator that helped bring the two sides to the ceasefire on April 8. Iranian officials said the plan was a response to a 15-point U.S. framework that demanded a two-month ceasefire, full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s version calls for a permanent stop to the war within 30 days, guarantees against future U.S. or Israeli attacks, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from around Iran, sanctions relief, release of frozen assets, reparations, an end to fighting in Lebanon and a new mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has kept up the pressure even as he said he was reviewing the latest Iranian offer. He said Iran has “not yet paid a big enough price” and warned that bombing could return at a “much higher level and intensity” if no agreement is reached. He also said the United States would pause its “Project Freedom” operation for a short period while talks continue.

The diplomacy is moving amid deep mistrust. Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States was pursuing “maximum pressure” and unilateral demands that were “impossible” for Iran. Tehran has also accused Washington of killing five civilians in attacks on passenger boats in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas exports.

A Pakistani source involved in the peace efforts said the two sides were closing in on a one-page memorandum to end the war, and the White House has viewed an agreement as near. Oil prices fell sharply after Trump announced the pause in escort operations through the strait and said there had been “great progress” toward a deal.

The ceasefire has not ended the regional spillover. Fighting has continued in Lebanon despite the truce, and Tehran’s negotiations have taken place as China has also stepped into the diplomacy surrounding the widening crisis.