The Trump administration on Monday rejected Iran’s latest peace proposal, signaling that negotiations between Washington and Tehran may be nearing a dangerous breaking point as pressure mounts over Iran’s nuclear program and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a report from Axios journalist Barak Ravid, a senior U.S. official described Iran’s updated offer as “insufficient for a deal,” adding to growing speculation that President Donald Trump could soon move toward renewed military operations if diplomatic efforts continue to stall.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints, remains closed, intensifying concerns about global energy markets and raising fears of broader instability across the Middle East.
“U.S. officials say President Trump wants a deal to end the war,” Ravid reported, citing administration officials, “but is considering resuming it due to Iran’s rejection of many of his demands and refusal to make meaningful concessions on its nuclear program.”
The increasingly tense rhetoric comes after Trump warned on Sunday that “the clock is ticking” for Iran to reach an agreement. The president also threatened there would not “be anything left of them” if Tehran failed to move “FAST” toward a deal.
Axios additionally reported Sunday that Trump planned to convene his top national security advisers inside the White House Situation Room to discuss possible next steps, including whether military operations should resume.
According to Ravid’s reporting, one senior U.S. official bluntly suggested the administration is rapidly losing patience with the stalled negotiations.
“The senior U.S. official said that if Iran doesn’t shift its position, the U.S. will have to continue the negotiations ‘through bombs,’” the report stated.
The latest Iranian proposal was reportedly transmitted Sunday night through Pakistani intermediaries. However, Axios reported that U.S. officials viewed the updated offer as only marginally different from prior proposals already rejected by Washington.
According to sources cited in the article, the proposal included “only token improvements on the last version.”
“We are really not making a lot of progress,” the senior U.S. official told Axios. “We are at a very serious place today. The pressure is on them to be responsive in the right way.”
The official also stressed that the administration was seeking more detailed and substantive negotiations over Iran’s nuclear activities, suggesting the White House believes Tehran is failing to engage seriously enough on the core issues at stake.
“It’s time for the Iranians to throw a bit of candy out,” the official reportedly said. “We need some real, sturdy, and granular conversation [regarding the nuclear program].”
The official then warned that if such discussions fail to materialize, diplomacy could give way to military force.
“If that’s not gonna happen,” the source added, “we will have a conversation through bombs, which will be a shame.”
The sharp escalation in language highlights how fragile the current diplomatic track has become. While administration officials insist Trump still prefers a negotiated settlement, the repeated warnings from Washington have increasingly fueled concern that both sides may be drifting toward another round of military confrontation in a region already strained by conflict and economic disruption.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has only intensified the stakes, as continued instability threatens energy supplies and risks broader economic fallout far beyond the Middle East.
At the same time, the increasingly public discussion of “negotiations through bombs” reflects the uneasy reality facing policymakers in Washington: even officials advocating a hard line against Iran are acknowledging that renewed war could carry serious consequences if diplomacy fully collapses.
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