TEHRAN - President Donald Trump has rejected Tehran’s “reasonable and generous” peace proposal as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensifies war rhetoric, despite the failure of the joint US–Israel war on Iran that began more than 70 days ago.

Trump, on Sunday, dismissed Iran's response—sent via Pakistan—to US proposals to end the war as “totally unacceptable.” He also told Axios that he had discussed Iran's response with Netanyahu.

In his weekly press briefing on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei defended Iran’s proposal as reasonable.

“Everything we proposed in the plan was reasonable and generous, and it is for the good of the region and the world,” Baghaei said.

He explained that Iran's demands include ending the war on all fronts in West Asia, including the Israeli war on Lebanon, lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian shipping, releasing Iranian assets frozen abroad, and guarantees of non-aggression. 

“We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we have demanded is Iran's legitimate rights. Is it unreasonable for Iran to call for an end to the war in the region, a halt to maritime piracy against Iranian ships, and the release of assets belonging to the Iranian people that have been unjustly blocked for years?” he asked. 

Baghaei accused the United States of making unreasonable demands shaped by an Israeli-influenced mindset.

US excessive demands

Iran submitted its response to the American side’s proposed text earlier on Sunday through Pakistan, which has acted as an intermediary. A ceasefire on April 8 paused US and Israeli aggression that began on February 28, but talks in Islamabad three days later failed to produce a breakthrough over what Iran described as Washington’s “excessive and maximalist” demands.

The United States also imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in mid-April. In response, Iran reasserted control over the Strait of Hormuz and banned vessels affiliated with its adversaries from transiting the strategic waterway.

The closure of the waterway pushed global fuel prices higher, with American consumers also feeling the impact. The fallout from the war has undermined Trump’s popularity, which has reached record lows.

US-Israel failed war strategy

The US and Israel assassinated Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on the first day of their aggression on February 28, along with several senior military commanders. They were under the illusion that such an act would lead to Iran’s collapse and allow them to reshape the country’s political structure in their favor. Contrary to those expectations, Iran maintained domestic cohesion and launched 100 waves of missile and drone attacks against US bases in the Persian Gulf and strategic targets in Israel.

This ultimately pushed Washington to agree to the April 8 ceasefire with Iran.

Netanyahu beats the drum of war 

 Trump has been accused of launching the war under pressure from Netanyahu, although he denies this claim.

In a weekend interview with US media, Netanyahu openly beat the drums of war. “I think it (the war on Iran) accomplished a great deal, but it's not over,” Netanyahu said in a taped interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” aired on Sunday.

“There is still nuclear material, enriched uranium that has to be taken out of Iran.” Pressed on how the US and Israel would remove the nuclear material, Netanyahu said: “You go in, and you take it out.”

Netanyahu now appears to be attempting once again to embolden Trump to resume hostilities.

Trump also has repeatedly threatened to resume the war with Iran if Tehran does not meet his demands. Iran, for its part, has said it is open to talks, but any new act of aggression will be met with a crushing response.

Iran will never capitulate

On Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would never surrender to the United States. “We will never bow our heads before the enemy, and if talk of dialogue or negotiation arises, it does not mean surrender or retreat.”

Iran’s military also warned neighboring countries against complying with US sanctions. Military spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz would face “severe consequences” if they failed to cooperate with Tehran.

Akraminia added that Americans “will never be able to turn this vast expanse in the northern Indian Ocean into a real blockade by covering it with their fleet.”

Iran’s five main demands 

Trump’s rejection of Iran’s latest proposal to bring a permanent end to the war has placed mounting pressure on his administration. At this critical juncture, Trump faces a clear choice: pursue genuine diplomacy based on mutual respect and recognition of Iran’s legitimate rights, or escalate a conflict that has already proven costly and ineffective.

Iran has now laid out five main demands for holding nuclear talks with the US in a second stage of a peace proposal. Iran says the US must meet these demands in the first stage if it wants an end to the war and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz: Ending hostilities across West Asia, including the Israeli war on Lebanon, the lifting of sanctions on Iran, reparations for damage caused by the US and Israeli war on Iran, releasing Iran's frozen assets, and recognizing Iran’s right over the Strait of Hormuz. 

Iran has demonstrated resilience, unity, and strategic capability in defending its sovereignty. Any further escalation would not only deepen instability in the region but also exacerbate economic strain inside the United States, further erode public confidence in Trump’s leadership, and pose serious political risks for Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections. Diplomacy grounded in realism and respect—not coercion—remains the only viable path toward lasting stability.