Gloomy! Trump Dislikes Contents of Iran's Proposal, War Could Continue Longer
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Hopes for the war to end soon are increasingly fading after Iran’s latest proposal to conclude the conflict received no positive response from US President Donald Trump.
This stance reduces the chances of achieving a peace agreement in the near future, amid the ongoing impacts of the war that continue to shake global energy supplies, trigger inflation, and claim thousands of lives.
According to Reuters on Tuesday (28/4/2026), a US official revealed that Trump is dissatisfied with the contents of Iran’s proposal, which is seen as not addressing the core issues from the start of negotiations. In the proposal, Iran wants discussions on its nuclear programme to be postponed until the war truly ends and disputes over shipping routes in the Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz, are resolved.
This approach is considered contrary to Washington’s position.
A US official familiar with Trump’s meeting with his advisors on Monday local time said the president did not accept the scheme because the US government demands that the nuclear issue be a primary part from the beginning of negotiations.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales emphasised that Washington will not discuss negotiations through the media.
“We will not negotiate through the press,” she said, adding that the US “has been clear about our red lines” in efforts to end the war against Iran that began in February alongside Israel.
The nuclear issue is indeed a crucial point in relations between the two countries. The 2015 agreement between Iran and several countries, including the US, once significantly limited Tehran’s nuclear programme, which Iran claims is for peaceful civilian purposes.
However, that agreement collapsed after Trump unilaterally withdrew the US during his first term as president. Now, differences in approach to that issue have once again become the main obstacle to diplomacy.
Hopes of reviving the negotiation track have also dimmed after Trump cancelled the visit of his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad, Pakistan, which was previously scheduled for last weekend.
Pakistan itself had become an important meeting point, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi making repeated trips to the capital in efforts to reopen dialogue.
Besides Pakistan, Araghchi also visited Oman and Russia. In Moscow, he met President Vladimir Putin and received support from Iran’s long-time ally.
In his statement in Russia, Araghchi said it is actually Washington that wants negotiations because it has not achieved its goals in the war.
Amid this deadlock, global energy markets are once again volatile. Oil prices continued to rise in early Asian trading, reflecting concerns over disrupted supplies.
Market analyst from City Index and FOREX.com, Fawad Razaqzada, assessed that market participants’ focus is no longer on political rhetoric.
“For oil traders, what matters is no longer rhetoric, but the physical flow of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and currently that flow is still hindered,” he said.
Ship tracking data shows at least six tankers carrying Iranian oil were forced to return to their country of origin due to the US blockade in recent days, underscoring the direct impact of the conflict on energy distribution routes.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the action. The seizure of ships by the US is described as “the blatant legalisation of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas”.
Before the war, around 125 to 140 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz every day. However, now only seven ships have passed in the last day, and none are carrying oil for the global market.
Domestically, Trump also faces political pressure as public approval ratings for his policies decline, including the war whose official reasons often change.