President Donald Trump said on Monday that the ceasefire with Iran was “on life support,” after dismissing Tehran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal as “stupid.” Trump’s swift rejection of Iran’s response on Sunday has fueled concerns that the 10-week-old conflict will drag on and continue to paralyze shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “I would call it the weakest right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us, I didn’t even finish reading it,” Trump said of the ceasefire. “It’s on life support.”
Days after Washington floated a proposal aimed at reopening negotiations, Iran on Sunday released a response focused on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where U.S. ally Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
Tehran also demanded compensation for war damage, emphasized its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and called on the United States to end its naval blockade, guarantee no further attacks, lift sanctions and remove a ban on Iranian oil sales.
On Monday, Trump also claimed Iran is willing to give the United States “the nuclear dust”, referring to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, and said only China and the U.S. have the capability to retrieve it.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; editing by Susan Heavey and Michelle Nichols )