President Donald Trump said Friday he was unhappy with a new proposal from Iran for peace talks with the United States, with negotiations between the two sides stalled amid a weeks-long ceasefire. "At this moment I'm not satisfied with what they're offering," Trump told reporters.
"At this moment I'm not satisfied with what they're offering," Trump told reporters at the White House.
The president's remarks came after Iranian state media reported that Tehran had delivered the text of a talks proposal to mediator Pakistan on Thursday evening.
The war, launched by the United States and Israel with a vast wave of surprise strikes on February 28, has been on hold since April 8 with a ceasefire. But only one failed round of direct talks has taken place between Iranian and US representatives.
Meanwhile Iran has maintained its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off vast amounts of oil, gas and fertilizer from the world economy, while the US has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports.
Asked why he was unsatisfied with the Iranian offer, Trump said: "They're asking for things that I can't agree." He gave no details.
Trump said Iran had "made strides" in negotiations, but added that there was "tremendous discord" in the Islamic republic's leadership and warned: "I'm not sure if they ever get there."
Trump was asked what he would do if there was no deal but refused to say whether he would launch more strikes.
"Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever -- or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options," he said.
Trump added that he would "prefer not" to launch a huge offensive but added: "That's the option: do we want to go in there heavy and just blast them away or do we want to do something?"
He was also asked about blowing past the 60-day deadline set out in the War Powers Act for getting congressional approval for the war and claimed that the notion that he would need approval was "totally unconstitutional."
"Also, we had a ceasefire so that gives you additional time, but no other country has done it," he said. "We're in the midst of a big victory. This is a victory like we haven't had since Venezuela." He meant the US ouster of Nicolas Maduro in January.
Earlier, Iran has delivered a new proposal for talks with the United States via mediator Pakistan, state media reported on Friday. "The Islamic Republic of Iran delivered the text of its latest negotiating proposal to Pakistan, as the mediator in talks with the United States, on Thursday evening," the official IRNA news agency reported, without elaborating.
It was not immediately clear what was included in the new proposal.
Iran and the United States held a single round of talks against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire following nearly 40 days of war that broke out on February 28.
Talks have since stalled as the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran has kept the key Strait of Hormuz largely closed, allowing only a trickle of ships through the waterway since the start of the war.
On Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held phone calls with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Iraq, and Azerbaijan on the latest "initiatives of the Islamic republic to end the war," according to a ministry statement.
Earlier, President Donald Trump was facing a deadline to secure congressional authorization for the war against Iran, though the looming cut-off is not expected to rein in his military plans as the US-based news outlet Axios reported that two senior American officials confirmed a high-level military briefing was held with the president.
During the 45-minute session, US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine presented Trump with updated plans for possible renewed action against Iran.
According to the officials, the strategies centred on potential strikes as the US administration weighs its next steps in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said in a CNN interview that briefings and other sources had left him with the impression that an imminent military strike was “very much on the table”.
He added that the prospect was “deeply disturbing”, warning it could place American troops in harm’s way and result in potentially massive casualties.
Legal deadline looms
President Trump was facing a deadline to secure congressional authorization for the war against Iran, though the looming cut-off is not expected to rein in his military plans.
The 60-day clock, triggered when Trump notified Congress of strikes in early March, requires the administration to begin winding down hostilities unless lawmakers authorize the use of force.
With no such approval in place, the deadline sets up a direct constitutional clash between the White House and Congress.
Democrats say the president is already on shaky legal ground -- and will be in clear violation once the threshold passes.
"After we cross that 60-day threshold, there can be no more doubts that he's violating the War Powers Act," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said, urging Republicans to help end the conflict.
The administration disputes that interpretation, arguing the clock was effectively paused by a ceasefire announced last month.
"For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated," a senior administration official told AFP late on Thursday, noting that there has been no exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since an April 7 ceasefire.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Thursday the government believes "the 60-day clock pauses or stops" during a halt in fighting -- a claim Democrats reject as unsupported by the law.
With tens of thousands of US troops deployed in the Middle East and mounting economic and political costs at home, the dispute presents a high-stakes test of Congress's authority over war powers, more than 50 years after the law was passed in the wake of the Vietnam War.
Senators voted on Thursday to reject a resolution aimed at curbing Trump's authority, the latest in a series of failed attempts by Democrats to force an end to the conflict.
- 'That time has come' -
While most Republicans have so far backed the president, unease is growing within the party as the deadline approaches.
Some Republicans have signalled they may reconsider their support if the war continues without a clear strategy or authorization.
Utah's John Curtis said the deadline demands action, warning that continued operations require a firm constitutional footing. "That same law is clear that after 60 days, military action must begin to wind down unless Congress provides formal authorization," he said, adding that he would not support continued force without lawmakers weighing in.
Despite mounting pressure, efforts to block the war face steep odds. Even if a resolution passes the Senate, it would still need approval from the Republican-controlled House and could be vetoed by Trump.
The War Powers Act has rarely succeeded in limiting presidential war-making, with courts generally reluctant to intervene and disputes typically left to the political arena. But Democrats remained hopeful of reining Trump in.
"Some of my colleagues have indicated that the War Powers Act's 60-day mark is the moment they may join our efforts to bring this war to its conclusion. That time has come," said Senator Adam Schiff, who introduced Thursday's failed resolution.
"After two months of war, thirteen service members' lives lost, and billions of dollars squandered, it is time we recognized that the price we have paid is already too high."
Pentagon is lying: Araghchi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “gamble” in the Middle East has cost the United States $100 billion.
In a post on X, Araghchi said, “The Pentagon is lying.” He added that the $100bn figure was four times what has been claimed: “Indirect costs for US taxpayers are FAR higher.”
Peace talks advanving: Trump
President Trump said that no one knows the status of talks with Iran aside from himself and a handful of others, suggesting the negotiations are advancing despite the public appearance of a standstill, reported CNN.
“Nobody knows what the talks are, except myself and a couple of other people,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Thursday, even as he acknowledged the uncertainty over Iran’s leadership.
“We have a problem because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are. It’s a little bit of a problem,” he said.
Insisting Tehran wanted to make a deal “badly”, Trump said his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was working as planned. “Their economy is crashing. The blockade is incredible. The power of the blockade is incredible,” he said.
Trump appeared to discount the possibility he would end the ceasefire currently in place and resume bombing Iran. “I don’t know that we need it. We might need it,” he said.
When asked whether US President Donald Trump was feeling “antsy” about breaking the ceasefire with Iran, he said “nobody knows what the talks are except myself and a couple of other people,” suggesting that peace talks are advancing despite the public appearance of a standstill.
Pentagon to brief on military options
President Donald Trump is expected to hear about updated military options for Iran from Pentagon officials as he pressures Tehran to agree to a deal.
President Trump complained about congressional efforts aimed at limiting his war powers — the latest of which the Senate rejected. “They go again and again on the war power,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I’m negotiating a deal with Iran,” he added. “And every week, every three days, they put in a thing that the war should stop.”
A post-Vietnam War law puts a 60-day clock on the use of military force without congressional authorization. The Iran war would hit that 60-day mark on May 1, according to the text of the law, the War Powers Resolution, but there’s some confusion in Congress over the exact date of the deadline.
Some lawmakers say the 60-day clock started from the date hostilities began, which would make the deadline April 29, while others cite the text of the law to argue it’s 60 calendar days from the date the White House officially notified Congress, which would put the deadline at May 1.
Other Republicans argue that ceasefire days don’t count towards the 60-day total, or say that the president can unilaterally extend the deadline to 90 days.
— Air defences activated in Iran -
Air defences were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday night after they were activated to counter small aircraft and drones, Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported.
Air defences were active for about 20 minutes and the city returned to a "normal situation", according to the news agencies.
- US urges meeting of Israel, Lebanon leaders -
The US embassy in Lebanon called for a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders as the health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country's south killed at least 15 people despite an ongoing ceasefire.
"Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation," the embassy said, adding that "the time for hesitation is over".
Trump has said he hopes to host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "over the next couple of weeks" as the two countries prepare for direct negotiations.
- Israel warns Iran -
Israel's defence minister said his country may soon have to "act again" against Iran, to ensure the Islamic republic "does not once again become a threat to Israel".
"US President Donald Trump, in coordination with (Israeli) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is leading the efforts to achieve the campaign's objectives, to ensure that Iran does not once again become a threat to Israel, the United States and the free world in the future," Israel Katz said, according to a statement from his office.
- UN says Hormuz 'strangling' economy -
UN chief Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm over the worsening global economic impacts of the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively closed due to the Iran war.
The closure of the vital waterway is "strangling the global economy," the secretary-general warned in remarks to the media.
- No US presence in strait: Iran -
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vowed his country's control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz would ensure a future without US presence in the area.
"Today, by managing the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will provide itself and its neighbours with the precious blessing of a future free from American presence and interference," said Ghalibaf in a post on X to mark the national "Persian Gulf" day.
- Deadly Lebanon strike -
Israeli strikes on three south Lebanon villages killed nine people, among them two children and five women, according to Lebanon's health ministry, nearly two weeks into a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
- Lebanon slams Israel -
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the "continuing Israeli violations" in south Lebanon, saying they were occurring "despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day".
"Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defence, and humanitarian health and relief organisations," he added.
- 'Major energy crisis' -
The world is facing a "major energy and economic challenge" as oil prices have soared in the wake of the war in the Middle East, said International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol told a meeting on the energy transition in Paris.
With the world faced with "the biggest energy crisis in history", oil prices were "putting a lot of pressure in many countries", he added.
- US-Germany tensions -
Trump said the United States was considering reducing its troops in Germany over Chancellor Friedrich Merz's refusal to join Washington's war against Iran -- a force estimated between 35,000 and 50,000 troops.
The threats to slash US troop numbers echo Trump's longstanding criticisms of the NATO alliance, but Merz drew Trump's fresh ire earlier this week after saying Tehran was "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table.
- EU pushes back -
Following Trump's post, the EU said Thursday that the deployment of US troops in Europe was in Washington's interest.
"Our NATO allies are also increasing their defence spending at an unprecedented pace," European Union spokeswoman Anitta Hipper added.–Agencies