On Saturday, May 2, 2026, Donald Trump announced that he would study a new plan for resolving the conflict in the Middle East, warning that he was unlikely to accept it and hinting at the possibility of new military operations. But what does it contain?
A 14-point plan to end the conflict within 30 days
The situation between the two countries has been at a standstill since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, after nearly 40 days of Israeli-American strikes on Iran and retaliations from Tehran in the region.
An Iranian military official, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, deemed it “likely” on Saturday that a war with the United States would resume, as direct talks in Islamabad on April 11 proved unsuccessful due to significant differences, from the Strait of Hormuz to the nuclear issue.
According to Iranian news agencies, Iran has transmitted a 14-point plan to Washington via Pakistan aimed at ending the conflict within 30 days.
“I will study a plan that Iran has just sent us,” the American president announced on his Truth Social platform, “but I cannot imagine it being acceptable, because (the Iranians) have not yet paid a sufficient price for what they have done to Humanity and the World for 47 years” since the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
What does this plan contain?
According to the Tasnim news agency, Tehran calls for the withdrawal of American forces from areas near Iran, the lifting of the blockade on Iranian ports, the release of Iranian assets, reparations, the lifting of sanctions, a “mechanism” concerning the Strait of Hormuz, and “the end of the war on all fronts including Lebanon.”
On this last front, Israel conducted a new series of strikes on Saturday that killed at least three people in the southern part of the country, according to the official Lebanese news agency. The Israeli army claimed to have targeted dozens of pro-Iranian Hezbollah sites.
Tasnim does not mention the nuclear issue. However, this is a key concern for the United States and Israel, who accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons – a claim the country denies.
Iran had already sent a new text via Pakistan this week, but no details have been revealed.
“The ball is in the court of the United States”
The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, believes that Tehran is “prepared” for both scenarios and that “the ball is in the court of the United States.”
The war has resulted in thousands of deaths, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and its repercussions continue to impact the global economy, with oil prices at unprecedented levels since 2022.
Although the bombings have stopped, the conflict persists in other forms: Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s consumed hydrocarbons used to pass.
When questioned by journalists in Florida on Saturday night, Donald Trump refused to specify what could trigger new military operations against Iran.
“If they misbehave, if they do something bad, for now, we’ll see. But it’s certainly a possibility,” Trump asserted.
The Republican theoretically had until Friday to seek Congressional authorization to continue the war. Instead, he opted to send a letter to congressional leaders notifying them that hostilities against Iran had ended, even though several Democratic lawmakers pointed out that the continued presence of forces in the region indicated otherwise.
The highly unpopular war in the United States has fueled discontent against Donald Trump, who is under pressure to find a solution as the country approaches crucial midterm elections in just six months.
With AFP
Personalize your news by adding your favorite cities and media outlets with Mon Actu.
/2021/12/14/61b8b98ad55b9_clement-parrot.png "War in the Middle East: Donald Trump announces he will study an Iranian plan but doubts it will be acceptable")
