Day 73 of Iran War: Trump and Tehran Diverge on Latest Peace Proposal
Sarah Shamim / Al Jazeera English
On day 73 of the US-Israel war with Iran, President Trump rejected the latest Iranian proposal as 'completely unacceptable', while Tehran dismissed the American plan as 'surrender to Trump's greed'. Oil prices surged amid the diplomatic deadlock, with the Strait of Hormuz largely closed. Elsewhere, tensions escalated in the Gulf and Israel continued airstrikes in Lebanon despite a ceasefire.
The US-Israel war with Iran enters its 73rd day. On Sunday evening, US President Donald Trump flatly rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war without giving specific reasons. Days after the US made an offer in hopes of restarting negotiations, Iran responded with a focus on ending the war on all fronts, especially in Lebanon.
Tehran's proposal included ending the naval blockade and lifting US and international sanctions, while safeguarding Iran's control over its nuclear program and foreign policy—issues Washington had cited as grounds for launching the war.
Trump said Iran's response to Washington's offer was 'completely unacceptable'. Meanwhile, Iranian state media asserted that the US plan was tantamount to 'Iran's surrender to Trump's greed'.
Oil prices rose following Trump's latest comments. International benchmark Brent crude increased 2.69% to $104.01 a barrel as of 23:36 GMT Sunday. Oil prices continued to climb more than $4 a barrel on Monday amid news of the prolonged deadlock, leaving the Strait of Hormuz largely closed. Before the war began, the waterway carried one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, making it a central pressure point in the conflict.
Tensions escalate in the Gulf: The United Arab Emirates reported intercepting two drones from Iran; Qatar condemned a UAV attack on a freighter from Abu Dhabi within its waters. Kuwait also announced that its air defenses had neutralized hostile drones breaching its airspace.
In Iran, a 29-year-old man, Erfan Shakourzadeh, convicted of spying for US and Israeli intelligence, was executed. Shakourzadeh worked at a scientific organization involved in satellite activities and shared classified scientific information with foreign intelligence agencies.
On war diplomacy, European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss both the Iran war and the Ukraine war. Meanwhile, President Trump is expected to travel to Beijing on Wednesday evening to discuss the Iran war and other issues with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In Lebanon, Israel continued airstrikes on the towns of Kfar Tebnit and Choukine despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16. Two Lebanese paramedics and one civilian were killed in an Israeli attack on emergency response centers in Bint Jbeil. The Israeli military reported the death of Alexander Glovanyov, 47, an army driver, in fighting near the Lebanon border.
In the US, polls show the war is unpopular with voters, who face sharply rising gas prices less than six months before critical midterm elections that will decide whether Trump's Republican Party retains control of Congress.
On the global economy, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply compared to pre-war levels, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG show three crude oil tankers left the waterway last week, with their locators turned off to avoid Iranian attack. The US dollar rose for a second straight day on strong jobs data and safe-haven demand. Gold prices fell as lack of progress in US-Iran peace talks boosted oil prices, raising concerns that high inflation could keep interest rates elevated for longer.
