US President Donald Trump rejected the response sent by Iran via Pakistan to Washington’s proposal to end the war in the Middle East, as tensions escalate in the Gulf.
This comes as defense ministers from 40 countries are set to meet Tuesday to discuss military plans aimed at restoring maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social account, “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it. Totally unacceptable.”
Trump also intends to pressure his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Iran, according to a senior administration official, just days before their anticipated summit in Beijing.
The development came hours after the official Iranian news agency IRNA confirmed that the response had been sent, while the ISNA news agency reported that the response focused “on ending the war and maritime security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.”
While the two agencies offered little details, the Wall Street Journal reported that it “does not address U.S. demands for prior commitments regarding the fate of Iran’s nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.” The report stated that Tehran proposed reducing the enrichment level of some of the uranium and transferring the remainder to a third country. The response also included a proposal to suspend uranium enrichment for less than 20 years.
According to the newspaper, Tehran also focused on “ending the war and gradually reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with the United States lifting its blockade on Iranian ports and ships.”
The situation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is a major point of contention between the United States and Iran, given its impact on maritime shipping and global energy prices.
Iran controls this vital waterway for the transport of oil, gas, and fertilizers, and has established a payment mechanism to impose fees on ships attempting to pass through it. Washington responded by blockading Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, oil prices rose sharply at the opening of trading on Monday, shortly after Trump announced his rejection of Tehran’s response. Brent crude futures for July rose 2.69% to $104.01 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate climbed 2.54% to $97.84 a barrel.
Iran warned Britain and France that it would respond “decisively and immediately” if they sent warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, “We remind them that in times of war and peace, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the only one that can maintain security in this strait, and it will not allow any country to interfere in such matters.”
In response, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the mission Paris and London intend to lead aims to secure navigation in a “coordinated” manner with Iran.
The UK and France will on Tuesday host a multinational meeting of defence ministers on military plans to restore trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the British government said.
“The Defense Secretary John Healey will co-chair a meeting of over 40 nations, alongside his French counterpart, Minister Catherine Vautrin, for the multinational mission’s first Defence Ministers’ meeting,” a Defense Ministry statement said Sunday. (AFP)
