Netanyahu Warns Iran War Is Not Over as Trump Rejects Tehran’s Counteroffer
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the Iran war “not over” on Sunday, CNBC reported, as the conflict stretches into its second month with global energy prices still elevated and a peace agreement nowhere close.
Netanyahu Draws a Hard Line on Nuclear Demands
Speaking in a taped interview for CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Netanyahu listed several unresolved conditions. He cited stockpiles of enriched uranium still inside Iran, active enrichment sites, Iranian-backed proxy forces, and an ongoing ballistic missile programme. When asked how nuclear material would ultimately be removed, his response was blunt and direct. He said the answer was simple: you go in and take it out.
The Israeli prime minister’s remarks frame any near-term settlement as a distant prospect, even as US and Israeli officials continue pressing for a complete dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear capability.
Trump Rejects Tehran’s Counteroffer Publicly
President Donald Trump added his own emphatic pushback on Sunday, posting on Truth Social that Iran’s latest response to a US proposal was “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” The Wall Street Journal reported the details of Tehran’s counteroffer, which stopped well short of American demands.
Iran reportedly declined to surrender its nuclear programme outright. Instead, Tehran proposed that highly enriched uranium be diluted, with the remainder transferred to a third country, but only temporarily. Under that framework, the uranium would return to Iran if the US later withdrew from any agreement. Iran also accepted a shorter uranium enrichment suspension, far less than the 20-year moratorium Washington had sought. Dismantling nuclear facilities entirely was rejected.
In exchange, Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping if the US lifted its blockade of Iranian ports.
Background: Hormuz Closure Has Rattled Energy Markets
Iran’s shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly 20% of global oil supply, has driven fuel costs sharply higher since the conflict began. Gas prices across the United States have climbed substantially, adding pressure on consumers and complicating the domestic economic picture for the Trump administration.
Negotiations are proceeding through Pakistani intermediaries, though the talks have yet to produce a framework both sides will accept.
Also Read: Oil Markets Brace for Extended Middle East Disruption
Trump’s China Trip Adds Another Dimension
Netanyahu’s statement arrives just ahead of Trump’s scheduled visit to China, where he is expected to sit down with President Xi Jinping. Beijing’s posture toward the Iran conflict and any potential deal could carry significant weight in how negotiations ultimately unfold.
With core nuclear demands unresolved on both sides, markets will be watching closely for any sign of movement before Trump’s diplomatic travels begin.
Read Next: Trump and Xi Set for High-Stakes China Summit Amid Global Tensions
