US President Donald Trump
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Sunday that the United States faces a choice between an “impossible” military operation or a “bad deal” with Tehran, mocking Washington’s narrow options amid a prolonged diplomatic stalemate and escalating tensions between the two countries.In a statement broadcast on state television, the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence agency said that US President Donald Trump “must choose between ‘an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran’,” adding that “the space for American decision-making has narrowed.”These statements came at a time when diplomatic efforts between the two sides stopped after only one round of direct peace talks. Iranian officials said Tehran submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan.Iranian media outlets Tasnim and Fars reported that the proposal includes a 30-day framework for resolving outstanding issues and focuses on ending hostilities rather than extending the ceasefire. The aforementioned agenda includes the withdrawal of American forces from Iran’s surroundings, lifting the naval blockade, freezing Iranian assets, easing sanctions, and a mechanism for dealing with the Strait of Hormuz.The American website Axios reported, citing sources, that the proposal also set a one-month deadline for negotiations covering the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ending the broader conflict, including in Lebanon.
In a post on the Truth Social website, Trump said he would review Iran’s plan but added that he “cannot imagine it will be acceptable” and said Iran “has not paid a high enough price” for its past actions.He also told reporters in Florida that US action was “possible” if Iran “misbehaves.”[s]”.Separately, Iranian officials said the country is prepared for diplomatic engagement and continued confrontation as tensions persist across the region.The ceasefire between the United States and Iran has remained in place since April 8, although negotiations faltered after the failure of peace talks held in Islamabad, Pakistan. The weeks-long conflict, which began after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has seen slow diplomatic progress, with only one round of direct negotiations taking place so far.
