Sunday May 3, 2026
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United States President Donald Trump has said he will examine a newly submitted peace proposal from Iran, though he expressed strong reservations about its chances of acceptance and did not rule out further military action.

Talks between Washington and Tehran have remained stalled since a ceasefire took effect on April 8. A previous round of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, which has lasted over two months, broke down in Islamabad.

The latest development follows reports by Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies that Tehran forwarded a 14-point proposal through Pakistani mediators. According to Tasnim, the plan includes measures to halt hostilities across all fronts and introduce a new framework governing the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

“I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Speaking briefly with reporters in West Palm Beach, Trump declined to outline specific triggers for renewed military action against Iran.

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

On the Iranian side, senior military official Mohammad Jafar Asadi warned that tensions could escalate again, stating that “a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely.”

“Evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements,” he added, according to Fars news agency.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told diplomats in Tehran that “the ball is in the United States’ court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach.”

He added that Iran was “prepared for both paths.”

Earlier in the week, US news outlet Axios reported that Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, had urged that Iran’s nuclear programme be brought back into negotiations.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations accused Washington of “hypocritical behavior” over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, pointing to America’s own extensive arsenal. It maintained there was no legal “restriction on the level of uranium enrichment, so long as it is conducted under the IAEA’s supervision, as was the case with Iran.”

Since the conflict began, Iran has tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz, restricting vital shipments of oil, gas and fertiliser, while the United States has responded with a blockade of Iranian ports. As a result, global oil prices have surged by about 50 per cent compared to pre-war levels.

Meanwhile, Iran’s parliamentary vice speaker Ali Nikzad said proposed legislation on managing the waterway would allocate 30 per cent of toll revenues to military infrastructure, with the remainder directed toward economic growth.

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

Hostilities also persisted in Lebanon, where Israeli forces carried out strikes despite a separate truce with the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. The Israeli military said dozens of targets in southern Lebanon were hit following evacuation warnings issued to nine villages.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that three people were killed in the attacks, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several retaliatory strikes against Israeli troops.

One of the Israeli strikes hit a structure in the village of Yaroun described by the military as a “religious building.” The French Catholic charity L’Oeuvre d’Orient said the attack destroyed a convent belonging to the Salvatorian Sisters.

In Washington, D.C., lawmakers remain divided over whether Trump violated a deadline requiring congressional approval for the war. Administration officials argue that the ceasefire paused a 60-day countdown, a position disputed by opposition Democrats.

Inside Iran, the economic strain of the conflict continues to intensify, with oil exports declining and inflation rising above 50 per cent.

“Everyone is trying to endure it, but… they are falling apart,” 40-year-old Amir, a Tehran resident, told an AFP reporter based outside the country.

“We still have not seen much of the economic effects because everyone had a bit of savings. They had some gold and dollars for a rainy day. When they run out, things will change.”
*AFP