Trump rejects Iran war proposal, says he is 'not satisfied' with terms

President Donald Trump on Friday rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the ongoing war between the two countries, telling reporters at the White House he was "not satisfied" with what Tehran offered.

The rejection deepens a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas flows. A U.S. Navy blockade of the waterway has devastated Iran's economy since the war began Feb. 28.

Iran's proposal, as described by Axios and Iranian state news agency IRNA, would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the U.S. Navy blockade, with negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program deferred to a later date.

"They're asking for things I can't agree to," Trump said, according to The Korea Times. He dismissed Iran's negotiating posture as internally incoherent. "It's a very disjointed leadership. They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up," Trump said. Earlier at the White House, he signaled a deal was not near. "They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happen," he said.

Last week, Trump called off a planned trip by U.S. envoys to Islamabad, Pakistan, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been facilitating talks between the two sides. A three-week ceasefire between the two countries remains in effect, though both sides have accused the other of violations.

The war has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran and 2,600 in Lebanon, according to The Korea Times. At least 24 people have died in Israel and more than 20 in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members and 17 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been conducting diplomatic outreach to build support for Tehran's position, including contacts with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and regional partners.

With both sides deadlocked over control of the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear demands unresolved, the path to a settlement remained unclear.