Trump Rejects Iran’s Latest Proposal While Weighing New Military Moves to Restart War

President Donald Trump has once again made clear he’s not interested in making peace with Iran, rejecting the country’s latest diplomatic proposal and instead reviewing fresh military options to reignite the conflict. This comes as the Trump administration hits the 60-day legal deadline to seek congressional authorization for the war—a deadline the White House insists doesn’t apply since it claims the war has “terminated” during the current ceasefire.

Iran submitted a new proposal aimed at breaking the diplomatic deadlock, but Trump dismissed it outright. According to PBS correspondent Nick Schifrin, the president expressed deep skepticism that Iran could ever offer a deal satisfying enough for him. “They want to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied with it,” Trump said, adding that Iran’s leadership is fractured and in discord.

Behind the scenes, Trump has been briefed by top military officials on options ranging from a full-scale assault to more targeted strikes aimed at limiting Iran’s ability to launch drones and missiles. Trump framed the choice bluntly to FOX News: “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?” He insisted he prefers not to escalate on a “human basis,” but left the door wide open.

A U.S. official told PBS that the administration’s options are more nuanced than Trump’s stark framing. There is little appetite to restart the war fully, but impatience is growing over what officials see as Iran dragging its feet. Military moves could include reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and further crippling Iran’s economy through blockades and sanctions—all while keeping diplomatic channels open, at least nominally.

Details of Iran’s rejected proposal remain vague, but it reportedly involved Iran reopening the strait if the U.S. lifts its blockade, unfreezes Iranian assets, and pauses nuclear negotiations. Trump dismissed these demands as unacceptable without providing specifics.

The administration’s legal justification for continuing hostilities without congressional approval is a stretch. The White House argues the War Powers Act is unconstitutional and claims the war ended with the ceasefire. Yale Law professor Harold Koh called this a misreading of the law, saying the president is effectively trying to rewrite the resolution to include a “pause button” on war powers—something no president has ever successfully done.

This maneuver allows Trump to keep military pressure on Iran without the political cost of seeking congressional consent, further eroding democratic checks on executive war-making. It also fits a broader pattern of the administration using foreign conflict as a distraction from domestic scandals and a tool to consolidate power.

As Trump toys with the option to “blast the hell out of” Iran, the stakes could not be higher. The administration’s reckless brinkmanship and legal contortions threaten to drag the country deeper into an unauthorized war, all while dodging accountability from Congress and the American public. We will keep tracking this dangerous game and demand transparency and restraint before it’s too late.