US-Iran tensions mount as Trump calls Tehran response 'unacceptable'; Iran cites ‘fundamental rights’

US President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected Iran's response to America's proposal to end the war as "totally unacceptable", with the POTUS stating that he doesn't like it. The Iranian Embassy in India stated that its proposal emphasises Tehran's fundamental rights, claiming that the USA's plan "would have meant Tehran's submission to Trump's excessive demands".

The latest exchange between Iran and the US comes at a time when both nations have reportedly largely honoured a ceasefire between them after weeks of escalations, fuelling geopolitical tensions once again as world markets await a permanent solution. A second round of talks between both countries was cancelled last month after discussions between both sides in Pakistan's Islamabad failed earlier in April.

Meanwhile, Trump recently reiterated his position that the war in West Asia will be "over quickly".

I don't like response from Iran's so-called representatives: Trump

"I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.” I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter," wrote Trump on Truth Social, a social network owned by one of his companies.

The POTUS has repeatedly tried to block Iran from pursuing its nuclear ambitions, including uranium enrichment, and to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz -- a waterway crucial to world's energy markets. On the flipside, Iran has sought an end to the conflict and removal of the naval blockade on its ports while maintaining its national sovereignty.

Several non-negotiable and conditional demands by both sides have reportedly delayed a lasting solution to the conflict, which began with joint US-Israel attacks against Tehran that killed Iran's Supreme Leader on February 28. The strikes triggered Iran's retaliatory action against several countries in the region, effectively blocking the strait -- which normally enables the passage of 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas.

Disruptions in the waterway have caused jitters in energy markets, sending oil rates touching nearly four-year highs and mostly gyrating in triple digit dollars per barrel. The US has been enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports to exert pressure on Tehran to agree to its terms.

What Iranian side says

In a post on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter), the Iranian Embassy in India said that "Iran’s proposal, submitted in response to the US plan, emphasizes the fundamental rights of the Iranian nation. Iran has rejected the US plan, which would have meant Tehran’s submission to Trump’s excessive demands."

Noting that Tehran's plan stresses the necessity of the US paying war reparations and affirms Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, it said that Iran has underscored the need for an end to sanctions and the release of the country’s seized assets and properties.