An Iranian official judges likely a return to war with the United States

In Iran, a woman stands under a banner representing Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, on a street in Tehran on May 2, 2026 (AFP). Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would study a new Tehran plan to resolve the Middle East conflict, warning that he was unlikely to accept it and hinting at the possibility of new military operations.

The situation between the two countries has been at a stalemate since a ceasefire took effect on April 8, following nearly 40 days of Israeli-American strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliations in the region.

An Iranian military official, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, said on Saturday that a resumption of war with the United States was “likely,” as direct talks in Islamabad on April 11 proved unsuccessful due to strong disagreements from the Strait of Hormuz to the nuclear issue.

According to Iranian news agencies, Iran has sent a 14-point plan to Washington via Pakistan to end the conflict within 30 days. Trump stated he would study the plan but doubted its acceptability due to Iran not paying a sufficient price for its actions over the past 47 years since establishing the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s plan includes demands for the withdrawal of American forces near Iran, the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports, the release of Iranian assets, compensation, the lifting of sanctions, a mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz, and ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Israel conducted a new series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, causing at least three deaths. The Israeli army claimed to have targeted dozens of pro-Iranian Hezbollah sites. The nuclear issue was not mentioned in the plan, which is crucial for the US and Israel accusing Iran of seeking nuclear weapons – a claim Iran denies.

Tehran is prepared for both continued war or diplomatic solutions, awaiting US actions to determine the next steps. The war, highly unpopular in the US, has impacted the global economy with oil prices rising. The conflict persists despite the end of airstrikes, with Washington imposing a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump, questioned by journalists in Florida on Saturday evening, avoided detailing what could trigger new military operations against Iran. He had until Friday to seek congressional authorization to continue the war but opted to inform lawmakers that hostilities against Iran had ended, despite Democrats noting the ongoing US presence in the region.

Concerns over finding a resolution to the conflict are mounting as the US approaches decisive midterm elections in six months. In Iran, amid a temporary ceasefire, soaring inflation and unemployment have weighed down the population, already burdened by decades of international sanctions. Reports of executions and espionage trials further contribute to a sense of unease among the Iranian people.