Day 72: Trump Rejects Iran Counter-Proposal as 'TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!' — Ceasefire Increasingly Shaky; Iran Calls Its Terms 'Reasonable'

On May 11, 2026 (Day 72 of the US-Iran war), President Trump publicly rejected Iran's counter-proposal — submitted via Pakistani intermediaries on May 10 — posting on Truth Social that it was 'TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!' and accusing Tehran of 'playing games.' Iran's counter-proposal included: recognition of Iranian sovereignty and management over the Strait of Hormuz as a precondition; refusal to dismantle nuclear facilities (insisting nuclear talks be handled on a separate track); an offer to halt uranium enrichment for a shorter period than the US demanded and to send some highly enriched uranium to a third country while diluting the rest; lifting of OFAC sanctions on Iranian oil sales within 30 days; release of frozen Iranian assets; compensation for war damages; and an end to fighting on all fronts including Lebanon. The US 14-point proposal had demanded a 12–15 year moratorium on uranium enrichment, Iran handing over ~440 kg of 60%-enriched uranium, gradual sanctions lifting, and gradual Hormuz reopening during a 30-day negotiation window. Iran's Foreign Ministry said its counter-proposal was 'reasonable' and called Trump's rejection a sign of bad faith. Iran warned it would 'confront its enemies' if negotiations collapsed. CNN's live blog and Washington Post described the US-Iran ceasefire — which had nominally been in place since April 7 — as 'increasingly shaky' following Trump's rejection. Pakistan's FM Ishaq Dar said intermediary contacts were continuing despite the setback. Qatar's parallel mediation channel also remained active. Brent crude spiked back toward $108–112/bbl on the news, reversing the modest peace-optimism easing from May 10. The US naval blockade of Iranian ports remained in place with roughly 31 tankers (~53 million barrels) still blocked; approximately 22,500 mariners remained trapped on 1,550+ vessels.