Trump not happy with Iran’s proposal to end the war but Tehran stands its ground
US-Iran peace talks: White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said the United States “will not negotiate through the press” and has “been clear about our red lines”.
- Apr 28, 2026,
- Updated Apr 28, 2026 8:06 AM IST
US-Iran war: US President Donald Trump is reportedly unhappy with Iran’s latest proposal to end the two-month war, according to a US official briefed on the president’s Monday meeting with advisers.
According to a report in Reuters that quoted the official. Trump objected because Iran wants to defer discussion of its nuclear programme until after the war ends and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved, while Washington insists nuclear issues must be addressed from the outset.
As per the report, senior Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal carried by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to Islamabad envisaged talks in stages, with the nuclear issue set aside at the start. Under that plan, the first step would be to end the US-Israeli war on Iran and secure guarantees that the United States could not start it again.
Negotiators would then address the US Navy’s blockade of Iran’s trade by sea and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran wants reopened under its control. Only after that would talks move to other issues, including the longstanding dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme, with Iran still seeking some form of US acknowledgement of its right to enrich uranium.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said the United States “will not negotiate through the press” and has “been clear about our red lines” as the Trump administration seeks to end the war against Iran that it began in February alongside Israel.
The disagreement comes after Trump cancelled a planned weekend visit by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad, where Araqchi had travelled and later returned despite the absence of US counterparts. Even as Pakistan sought to position itself as a facilitator, Tehran kept up its diplomatic outreach through visits to Pakistan, Oman and Russia, while oil prices rose again and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained sharply reduced.
On Sunday, Trump said Iran could contact Washington directly if it wanted to negotiate an end to the war. Speaking to Fox News, he said: “If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines.” He added: “They know what has to be in the agreement. It’s very simple: they cannot have a nuclear weapon, otherwise there’s no reason to meet.”
In a Truth Social post before that, Trump said he had cancelled the Islamabad trip because too much time was being wasted on travelling, and there was too much work. Besides that, he said, there is “tremendous infighting and confusion” within the Iranian leadership, and that nobody knows who is in charge.
Araqchi also visited Oman and then travelled to Russia on Monday, where he met President Vladimir Putin and received support from a longstanding ally. He told reporters in Russia that Trump had requested negotiations because the United States had not achieved any of its objectives. Iranian media reports said the discussions were extending beyond the nuclear issue and included proposals for a new legal framework for the Strait of Hormuz, compensation demands, guarantees against further military action and the lifting of US maritime restrictions.
US-Iran war: US President Donald Trump is reportedly unhappy with Iran’s latest proposal to end the two-month war, according to a US official briefed on the president’s Monday meeting with advisers.
According to a report in Reuters that quoted the official. Trump objected because Iran wants to defer discussion of its nuclear programme until after the war ends and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved, while Washington insists nuclear issues must be addressed from the outset.
As per the report, senior Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal carried by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to Islamabad envisaged talks in stages, with the nuclear issue set aside at the start. Under that plan, the first step would be to end the US-Israeli war on Iran and secure guarantees that the United States could not start it again.
Negotiators would then address the US Navy’s blockade of Iran’s trade by sea and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran wants reopened under its control. Only after that would talks move to other issues, including the longstanding dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme, with Iran still seeking some form of US acknowledgement of its right to enrich uranium.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said the United States “will not negotiate through the press” and has “been clear about our red lines” as the Trump administration seeks to end the war against Iran that it began in February alongside Israel.
The disagreement comes after Trump cancelled a planned weekend visit by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad, where Araqchi had travelled and later returned despite the absence of US counterparts. Even as Pakistan sought to position itself as a facilitator, Tehran kept up its diplomatic outreach through visits to Pakistan, Oman and Russia, while oil prices rose again and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained sharply reduced.
On Sunday, Trump said Iran could contact Washington directly if it wanted to negotiate an end to the war. Speaking to Fox News, he said: “If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines.” He added: “They know what has to be in the agreement. It’s very simple: they cannot have a nuclear weapon, otherwise there’s no reason to meet.”
In a Truth Social post before that, Trump said he had cancelled the Islamabad trip because too much time was being wasted on travelling, and there was too much work. Besides that, he said, there is “tremendous infighting and confusion” within the Iranian leadership, and that nobody knows who is in charge.
Araqchi also visited Oman and then travelled to Russia on Monday, where he met President Vladimir Putin and received support from a longstanding ally. He told reporters in Russia that Trump had requested negotiations because the United States had not achieved any of its objectives. Iranian media reports said the discussions were extending beyond the nuclear issue and included proposals for a new legal framework for the Strait of Hormuz, compensation demands, guarantees against further military action and the lifting of US maritime restrictions.