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White House Rejects Latest Iranian Offer as Trump Issues New Military Warning

The White House dismisses an updated Iranian proposal as the Trump administration signals diplomacy is time-limited.

May 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Indirect diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran reached a new impasse Monday. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that revised positions were conveyed to the U.S. through Pakistani intermediaries. However, senior U.S. officials characterized the new proposal as inadequate, noting it fails to provide substantive concessions on nuclear enrichment or verification frameworks. Simultaneously, President Trump intensified his rhetoric against the Iranian leadership. In a post on Truth Social, the President warned that 'the clock is ticking' for Tehran to reach a settlement, signaling that the current administration's patience for back-channel negotiations is limited. This public pressure followed a high-level coordination call between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On the ground, while no new U.S. strikes were reported in the last 24 hours, the military posture in the Middle East remains at high readiness. Regional instability continues with Israeli operations expanding in Gaza and a targeted strike against an Islamic Jihad commander in Lebanon. Global markets remain sensitive to the standoff, with oil prices fluctuating due to the perceived risk of escalation near the Strait of Hormuz.

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