US President Donald Trump has cast fresh doubt on the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, describing the truce as being on “massive life support.”
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said the month-long ceasefire remained in place but warned that it was hanging by a thread.
“I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support,” Trump said. “It’s like when a doctor tells you your loved one has just a one percent chance of surviving.”
The sharp remarks came after Iran reportedly submitted a counter-proposal to Washington on Sunday, outlining conditions for ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route.
According to reports from Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, Tehran’s proposal demanded an immediate end to hostilities across the region, including Israeli attacks linked to Iran-backed groups such as Hezbollah.
Iran also reportedly called for the removal of the US naval blockade on its ports, guarantees against future attacks, compensation for war damages, and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump swiftly dismissed the proposal, branding it “totally unacceptable” and referring to it as “a piece of garbage.”
“That piece of garbage they sent us I didn’t even finish reading it,” he told reporters, while also accusing Iranian leaders of repeatedly changing their positions during negotiations.
Iran, however, defended its position. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei described Tehran’s offer as “responsible” and “generous,” insisting the country would act “in any way necessary” to protect its national interests.
The dispute also deepened over Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. Trump claimed Tehran had backed away from an earlier understanding that would allow the US to remove the material from Iran.
Iranian officials denied that any such concession was included in their proposal.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained that the conflict could not truly end unless Iran’s uranium stockpile and enrichment facilities were dismantled.
“There’s still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled,” Netanyahu said during an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes.
The ongoing standoff has continued to shake global energy markets. Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz a passage through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally flows has pushed oil prices sharply higher.
Despite Trump’s repeated insistence that the conflict would end quickly, tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high, with both sides exchanging threats while negotiations appear increasingly strained.
