Donald Trump threatened renewed military action against Iran if diplomatic efforts fail, telling reporters Washington faces a choice between reaching an agreement and deciding to "blow them up." While Iran says it is ready to resist further attacks, both sides continue to negotiate over the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions.
Donald Trump threatens renewed military action against Iran as Tehran reports receiving a US counterproposal
Iran says it is ready to resist further attacks, while negotiations remain focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz
Disputes over sanctions, the US blockade and Iran's nuclear programme continue to obstruct an agreement
US President Donald Trump has threatened renewed attacks on Iran if diplomatic efforts fail, telling reporters that Washington faces a choice between reaching an agreement and deciding to "blow them up".
His warning came as Iranian officials reported receiving a US response to Tehran's latest proposal for ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The contents of the response have not been disclosed, leaving uncertain whether it could help resolve the diplomatic deadlock.
The latest exchanges follow Trump's refusal to rule out further strikes before November's US midterm elections. In an interview with Fox News at the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, he predicted that the war would end "very soon" and maintained that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained a central American objective.
Trump said military action and economic pressure were helping Washington prevail . He also predicted that oil prices would fall once the conflict ended.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, addressing military leaders at the Quantico Marine base outside Washington, claimed American forces had devastated Iran's armed forces, air defences, military production and leadership, and severely curtailed its nuclear ambitions. His assessment was presented as a US claim rather than an independently established account of Iran's remaining capabilities.
Iran, meanwhile, has signalled that it remains willing to negotiate but is preparing for renewed fighting.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that Tehran would resist any further attack, even if the confrontation escalated into a "doomsday war". He said Iran had adapted its military tactics following earlier fighting and left open the possibility of diplomacy.
.'Trump's war has failed': Iran appeals to US public to protest conflict. Araghchi had earlier said Tehran was awaiting Washington's formal response through mediators. Under the timetable he outlined, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the sixth day after agreed American measures, with negotiations on a final settlement beginning the following day.
The proposal sought relief from the US blockade of Iranian ports, sanctions and restrictions on frozen assets. Washington has resisted those conditions, arguing that an agreement must also resolve concerns about Iran's highly enriched uranium and its capacity to restart enrichment.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz characterised Tehran's offer as an attempt to secure substantial economic concessions. He said Washington's distrust reflected what it regarded as Iran's breaches of an earlier understanding, including attacks on international shipping, and stressed that Trump would retain military options.
The confrontation has continued to affect shipping through Hormuz. Iran's Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that Iranian forces targeted 19 vessels over Friday and Saturday for attempting to travel outside routes approved by Tehran.
Fars said 12 vessels were targeted on Friday night and another seven on Saturday. It did not identify the ships or disclose their flags, cargoes or destinations. The reports have not been independently verified and do not establish whether the vessels were damaged, detained or ordered to turn back.
Iranian authorities have also threatened restrictions against shipping companies whose vessels use routes they consider unauthorised.
Despite those threats, figures cited by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright suggest that significant oil shipments continue to pass through the waterway. Wright said on Sunday that flows were averaging nearly 13 million barrels a day, with more than 20 million barrels moving through on one day the previous week.
Separately, the IRGC said its navy had seized a second American underwater vehicle in the strait. Spokesman Hossein Mohebbi identified it as an Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish autonomous underwater vehicle and described its capture as an intelligence and technological gain. Iran International reported the announcement, but the circumstances of the purported seizure remain unverified.
Diplomatic efforts have continued despite the public threats. Qatar remains involved in mediation, and Tehran's reported receipt of Washington's response indicates that exchanges have not stopped.
The principal obstacle remains the order in which each side would act. Iran wants economic relief and an end to the port blockade in return for reopening Hormuz, while the United States is pressing for nuclear assurances alongside any settlement. Neither side has publicly announced agreement on that sequence.
With agency inputs
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