President Trump said he is reviewing a new peace proposal Tehran submitted to the United States through Pakistani mediators. Iranian state media described the document as a 14-point reply transmitted via Pakistan. On the Palm Beach tarmac, Trump said he had not yet seen the exact text but was considering it and later posted that he would doubt the plan’s acceptability unless Iran paid a higher price for past actions. Pakistani officials confirmed a revised Iranian response was conveyed to U.S. representatives.
Reports indicate the Iranian proposal seeks to defer detailed nuclear negotiations, an approach the president has repeatedly rejected, insisting Iran must agree never to pursue a nuclear weapon. The White House declined to describe private diplomatic exchanges while reiterating that Iran must not obtain nuclear arms.
Diplomatic and negotiating developments
– The White House added former lobbyist and State Department official Nick Stewart as an adviser to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s negotiating team. Stewart had joined an earlier delegation to Islamabad led by Vice President J.D. Vance, Jared Kushner and Witkoff that did not secure a breakthrough.
– Qatar’s prime minister spoke with Iran’s foreign minister, expressing Doha’s support for mediation efforts, urging conditions that could enable progress and stressing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. posture, legal and military moves
– Trump said the U.S. will significantly reduce its troop presence in Germany, signaling a larger drawdown than an initial Pentagon plan to remove about 5,000 personnel. Pentagon officials framed a related withdrawal of roughly 5,000 troops as a protest over European support in the U.S.-Iran war; German leaders urged continued trans-Atlantic cooperation.
– The administration approved roughly $9 billion in arms sales for Israel and regional partners, invoking emergency authorities to expedite transfers. Packages include precision munitions and missile-defense equipment for Qatar and Kuwait.
– U.S. officials reportedly briefed the president on operational plans for potential strikes on Iran. Iranian commanders warned that any new attacks would draw sustained, wide-ranging and painful retaliation, with a senior officer calling renewed fighting likely.
War Powers dispute
– As U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict reached the 60-day mark under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the president told congressional leaders he considered hostilities terminated because of the ceasefire, effectively pausing the 60-day clock. Congressional opponents, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, rejected that interpretation and pressed for action. Administration officials argued the ceasefire halts the War Powers clock, while some Republicans urged winding down operations or seeking formal authorization.
Maritime actions and Strait of Hormuz
– U.S. Central Command said a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz forced about 48 Iranian ships to turn back over 20 days; officials say the blockade will remain until a deal is reached. The U.S. Navy interdicted the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska last month. The Treasury warned shippers that paying Iran a passage toll could violate U.S. sanctions. The U.K. Royal Navy cautioned that the Hormuz stand-off has cut shipping traffic by more than 90 percent, disrupting trade and humanitarian supply lines.
Israel-Lebanon fighting and humanitarian toll
– Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least seven people in a single day, and Lebanon’s health authorities reported more than 2,600 dead since March 2, with thousands more wounded. Israel issued evacuation orders for multiple southern villages and said it struck more than 40 Hezbollah infrastructure sites during one day. Both Hezbollah and Israel have accused the other of violating a mid-April ceasefire.
– Lebanese church officials reported damage to parts of a Catholic convent in the border village of Yaroun after the Israeli military used bulldozers there; the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and did not intentionally strike religious sites. Lebanon says more than a million people have been displaced by the fighting; Israel maintains it is targeting combatants and trying to avoid civilian harm.
Humanitarian and economic impacts
– The U.N. refugee agency warned that the conflict is causing major disruptions to global humanitarian supply chains, with higher transport costs and delays as shipments are rerouted. Some shipping costs have reportedly doubled and delivery times lengthened when routes avoid conflict-affected waters.
– Energy markets reacted to the Hormuz tensions: U.S. gasoline prices rose and Brent crude briefly spiked above $126 per barrel before easing. Despite geopolitical strains, U.S. stock markets showed resilience, buoyed by corporate results and hopes for renewed diplomacy.
Other regional developments
– Iran rejected the U.S. legal justification for the war, calling U.S. actions aggression rather than self-defense.
– Spain and Brazil accused Israel of seizing two activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters and detaining dozens of others; several detained activists were later seen disembarking in Crete. Israel said two high-profile activists would be taken to Israel for questioning.
– The U.S. sanctioned Chinese-linked entities and vessels accused of facilitating Iranian oil exports to China. The United Arab Emirates banned travel to Iran, Lebanon and Iraq for its citizens and urged residents in those countries to return.
– The U.S. Embassy in Beirut encouraged Lebanon to pursue direct talks with Israel, suggesting that U.S.-facilitated meetings between leaders could address sovereignty, borders, humanitarian aid and reconstruction guarantees.
Casualties and domestic politics
– Both sides have reported substantial casualties and damage from cross-border strikes and retaliatory actions. Lawmakers have questioned the makeup of U.S. negotiating teams, noting concerns about the absence of on-site nuclear specialists and the presence of political advisers.
– Domestically, the president accused critics of disloyalty for questioning U.S. success in the conflict and said the U.S. had already won but seeks stronger assurances that Iran will never develop nuclear weapons.
Outlook
– Negotiations remain fragile under a tentative ceasefire, with maritime blockades and military preparations continuing to shape the environment. Tehran’s revised proposal and Washington’s response will determine whether talks resume in earnest or military options reemerge. Regional players have signaled cautious engagement even as violence, displacement and humanitarian strains persist.