Trump Calls Iran's Peace Proposal 'Unacceptable'

U.S. President Trump explicitly rejected Iran's response to the peace deal on Sunday, publicly calling it on social media as "totally unacceptable". Trump stated in his post that he was very dissatisfied after reading the reply of the Iranian representative and criticized Tehran for always delaying over the past decades.

Reuters reported that Iran's response, which was handed over through Pakistan, focuses on demanding a full end to wars on various fronts, especially conflicts in Lebanon. Iranian official media Press TV, on the other hand, stated firmly that Iran refuses to yield to the U.S.'s excessive demands and emphasized its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Tasnim News Agency revealed that Tehran demanded the U.S. Treasury Department to revoke sanctions related to oil sales within 30 days and compensate for war losses in the plan. Iran stated that it would consider further ceasefire arrangements only on the condition of lifting the blockade and providing mutual non-aggression guarantees.

The Wall Street Journal previously quoted well-informed sources who said that Iran proposed to dilute or transfer some high enriched uranium, but this was subsequently denied by Iranian officials. Iran firmly refuses to dismantle any nuclear facilities, and this tough stance makes it difficult to bridge the gap between the two sides over the core demands.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, in an interview with CBS, stated that military operations against Iran have not yet ended, and diplomatic means must be based on the removal of enriched uranium. He emphasized that there is still a lot of work to be done, including the dismantling of nuclear facilities and dealing with Iran's ballistic missile threat, and did not rule out the use of force.

Saudi Aramco warned on Sunday that even if the Strait of Hormuz is immediately reopened now, it will also take months for the global energy market to return to normal. This is an undoubtedly severe signal in the long run for global investors facing a surge in energy costs.

The focus of investors should be on Trump's visit to China this week, as the market expects major countries' game to bring a turning point to the energy crisis. In addition, Washington is scheduled to launch a new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon on May 14, which may determine whether multi-line conflicts in the Middle East will further escalate.