The war in Iran looked at risk of escalation again as Donald Trump dismissed Tehran’s latest peace proposal, undermining hopes the 10-week-old conflict would end soon.
“I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” the US president wrote on social media to end a week of cautious diplomacy around a new push to end the war.
The latest Iranian response, sent to mediator Pakistan on Sunday, focused on ending the double blockade around the Strait of Hormuz, lifting American sanctions and drafting guarantees to end the war permanently.
Iran’s foreign ministry maintained on Monday that its demands were “generous” and “legitimate”, showing no signs of backing down despite Trump’s furious reaction, as fears of the war reopening pushed oil prices surging towards $100 per barrel.
Trump threatened last week that Iran would be bombed at a “much higher level and intensity than it was before” if it did not agree to terms – but faces pressure at home to wind down the conflict and seek approval from Congress to continue strikes.
With no clear end to the war in sight, The Independent reviews the key sticking points still blocking a peace deal.
Iran on Sunday gave a clear response to a reported 14-point American plan to end the war.
The response focused on ending the war on all fronts, especially in Lebanon, where Israel continues to clash with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Tehran also sought to lift the American blockade squeezing traffic in and out of Iranian ports at an estimated cost of $435m per week.
It lastly demanded compensation for war damage and urged the lifting of sanctions, something the US has offered in the past in return for limits on Iran’s nuclear programme.
“Our demand is legitimate: demanding an end to the war, lifting the (U.S.) blockade and piracy, and releasing Iranian assets that have been unjustly frozen in banks due to U.S. pressure,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and establishing security in the region and Lebanon were other demands of Iran, which are considered a generous and responsible offer for regional security.”
Iran’s response emerged on Sunday, after the United States reportedly put forward a 14-point memo to end the war and begin a 30-day negotiation period to hash out a detailed agreement on a peace deal.
According to reports, the American proposal aimed at lifting the costly blockades and promised sanctions relief and the release of billions of dollars in Iranian funds frozen around the world.
