Netanyahu Warns Iran War Is Not Over as Trump Rejects Peace Counteroffer
CNBC reported Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the conflict with Iran “not over,” even as US and Israeli officials continue pursuing an Iran peace deal. His remarks came the same day President Donald Trump publicly dismissed Tehran’s latest negotiating response as completely unacceptable.
Netanyahu Outlines What Still Needs to Happen
Speaking in a taped interview set to air on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Netanyahu listed several unresolved issues. He cited stockpiles of highly enriched uranium still inside Iran, active enrichment facilities, Iranian-backed proxy networks, and continued ballistic missile development. When asked directly how the US and Israel planned to remove nuclear material from Iranian territory, Netanyahu’s answer was blunt. He said forces would simply go in and take it out.
The remarks land as Trump prepares to travel to China later this week for an expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding diplomatic complexity to an already crowded foreign-policy calendar.
How the Strait of Hormuz Closure Is Hitting Markets
The war, now entering its second month, has had tangible economic consequences. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of hostilities has disrupted global energy flows, pushing oil and gas prices sharply higher in the US and internationally. The strait handles a significant share of the world’s seaborne oil trade, and any prolonged closure amplifies supply-chain stress for energy importers globally.
Negotiations are currently being mediated through Pakistan, but no agreement has been reached.
Iran’s Counteroffer Falls Well Short of US Demands
The Wall Street Journal reported details of Tehran’s response to the most recent American proposal. According to that reporting, Iran refused to accept US conditions around its nuclear program and enriched uranium stockpile. Instead, Iran proposed separate nuclear talks and offered to dilute part of its highly enriched uranium while shipping the remainder to a third country, with the condition that the material be returned if the US later exits any agreement.
Iran also reportedly agreed to suspend uranium enrichment, but only for a period significantly shorter than the 20-year moratorium Washington had proposed. Dismantling nuclear facilities was rejected outright. In exchange, Tehran asked for an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and pledged to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping.
Trump responded on Truth Social, writing in capital letters that the offer was “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” signaling that a near-term resolution remains out of reach.
Read Next: Oil Markets Brace as Middle East Tensions Reshape Global Supply Routes
