By Mostafa Salem, CNN
(CNN) — The United States waited 10 days for Iran’s response to its framework for ending the war. When Tehran’s demands arrived Sunday, they signaled that the Islamic Republic remains intent on extracting victory despite President Donald Trump’s push for regime surrender.
Neither side has publicly released the exact terms under negotiation, but Iranian state media reported that Tehran sought in its response a complete end to the war, formal recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and full sanctions relief.
The emboldened demands formed a counterproposal that Trump swiftly rejected. He deemed it “totally unacceptable” before calling it “a piece of garbage.”
It remains unclear which specific elements Trump objected to amid the obscurity shrouding the proposal. Iranian state media have consistently framed Tehran’s position throughout the war as one of strength in keeping with the government’s apparent effort to project an Iranian victory to its domestic audience.
Since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran more than 10 weeks ago, the Islamic Republic has pursued a strategy that firmly rejects any signal of capitulation. Instead, Tehran portrays a readiness to prolong the conflict if necessary to increase pressure on Washington and extract major commitments that would strengthen the regime financially and secure its long-term survival.
“They think I’ll get tired, or get bored, or I’ll have some pressure,” Trump told reporters in the White House on Monday. “There’s no pressure at all. We’re going to have a complete victory.”
Trump also complained that Iran’s leaders “change their mind” when the two sides appear to reach points of agreement, a lament that may reflect the Iranian military’s apparent refusal to sign off on measures that would satisfy his demands.
Differing priorities
The deadlock stems from differing priorities, with Trump seeking what one analyst said was a “quick and easy” triumph that includes immediate concessions on Iran’s nuclear program, while Tehran is determined to delay those demands and snag its own concessions first.
In one of its proposals, Iran has put forward a staggered, phased approach to negotiations, with the initial stages focused on declaring an end to the war on all fronts, lifting sanctions and ending any US naval blockade, while deferring talks on its nuclear program to later stages.
Trump, however, has demanded that Iran formally halt its nuclear program for a defined period — US officials seem to want at least 10 years — and turn over its existing stockpile of an estimated 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.
“There’s a clash of perception,” said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at the London-based Chatham House think tank. “We’re in a standoff because President Trump doesn’t understand why these guys are not making a deal to save themselves.”
“They will not give him concessions at the start of the agreement because they don’t trust him,” Vakil said, adding that the Iranians have been “personally burnt by him.”
In his weekly news conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the “disagreement” with Washington is “between a party that is solely seeking its fundamental rights and a party that insists on violating the rights of the other side.” He added that Iran’s demands are “reasonable” and “responsible.”
“The Iranian regime’s reply reflects the mindset of a leadership that believes it survived the war and won, not that it lost it,” Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, said on X. “As a result, its demands remain high, and its willingness to compromise is extremely limited.”
And as Trump se