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Iran claims it has always been open to talks but won’t agree to forced peace terms, while also wanting to avoid another war.
BY Mahnoor | 02-MAY-2026
On May 1, 2026, US President Donald Trump went to an event at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. —Reuters
- Trump says Iran’s leaders are responsible for talks not progressing.
- The US president stated that he would rather have a peaceful solution than a military strike.
- Iran states it desires discussions but declines peace conditions that are ‘forced’ upon them.
US President Donald Trump said he didn’t like Iran’s new offer for talks. Peace talks are still stopped even though a ceasefire has been in place for weeks.
Iran gave the draft document to Pakistan, who is helping to mediate, on Thursday evening, according to IRNA news. The report didn’t say what was in the draft.
“Right now, I don’t like their offer,” Trump said to reporters. He blamed the slow talks on big disagreements among Iran’s leaders.
“Should we attack them fiercely and end it all, or try to make an agreement?” he asked, adding that “personally, he’d rather not” choose the attack option.
The war, started by the US and Israel in a surprise attack on February 28, has been paused since April 8. Only one unsuccessful talk has happened since.
Trump, facing pressure to get Congress’s approval for the war, wrote to lawmakers on Friday saying that the fighting was ‘over’ — even though there was no change in the US military presence.
The Pentagon announced that the US will pull out around 5,000 soldiers from Germany in the next year. This comes after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Iran was making Washington look bad during talks.
Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, stopping much oil, gas, and fertilizer from passing through. The United States has responded by blocking Iranian ports.
Even though things are stuck, the ceasefire is still in place — but fighting goes on in other parts of the area.
In Lebanon, Israel has kept launching deadly attacks, even though there was a ceasefire with Hezbollah (an Iranian-supported group) in mid-April, which was supposed to stop over six weeks of fighting.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that 13 people died in bombings in the south. One bombing was in Habboush, where the Israeli army told people to leave right before the attack.
At the same time, Washington said on Friday that it had agreed to sell a lot of weapons to its allies in the Middle East, including a $4 billion Patriot missile agreement with Qatar and almost $1 billion in accurate weapons for Israel.
‘Trapped in a middle ground’
Iran’s top judge, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, said on Friday that Iran has always been open to talks, but will not accept peace terms that are forced on them as they aim to prevent further fighting.
The White House didn’t share details about the plan. Axios reported that US envoy Steve Witkoff suggested changes to restart talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.
The changes apparently require Iran not to move enriched uranium from bombed locations or restart work there while discussions are ongoing.
News of Iran’s idea briefly lowered oil prices by almost 5%, but they’re still about 50% higher than before the war because the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Amir, who lives in Tehran, told AFP reporters in Paris that the situation feels like being trapped in purgatory and he is not very hopeful about the proposal.
“This is just a waste of time,” he stated, predicting that the United States and Israel “will attack again.”
‘Ended’
In the meantime, Washington is dealing with a legal argument about whether Trump missed the deadline to get Congress’s okay for the war.
Government officials say a ceasefire stops the 60-day timeline, after which Congress needs to approve military action. But, opposition Democrats disagree with this claim.
Trump is dealing with more problems at home as prices go up, there’s no obvious win on the horizon, and elections are getting closer.
“There have been no fights between U.S. troops and Iran since April 7, 2026,” Trump said in letters to leaders in Congress. He also said that the fighting “has ended.”
It’s reported that 14 Iranian Revolutionary Guards died while trying to disarm undetonated cluster bombs and aerial mines in Zanjan province. The Fars news agency reported the incident.
Iran says the US and Israel used cluster bombs, which spread small bombs that can stay dangerous for a long time.
‘All gone’
Besides military attacks, the war is also hurting Iran’s economy more and more.
The U.S. placed sanctions on three Iranian currency exchange companies and cautioned others against paying a fee to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military claims its blockade has halted $6 billion worth of Iranian oil exports, and inflation has risen above 50%.
“Many people are struggling to pay rent and buy food, and some have absolutely nothing left,” said Mahyar, 28, to an AFP reporter outside of Iran.
‘Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, stated Friday that business owners affected by damages should try to avoid laying off employees, and he also warned Iran’s enemies of ‘economic and cultural jihad.’
Trump has often criticized allies for not helping to reopen Hormuz.
France and Britain are trying to create a group to reopen the waterway after the conflict ends. However, a US official stated that the US is forming its own group to get shipping moving again.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the US mission would work alongside European efforts instead of taking their place.
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has departed the Middle East after participating in actions against Iran, according to a U.S. official on Friday. However, two other carriers are still in the area.
