Trump says ceasefire with Iran is on 'massive life support'
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is on "life support" as the two countries are unable to reach an agreement to end the war and fighting is resuming in the Strait of Hormuz.
During a White House event, Trump called the ceasefire "unbelievably weak" and labeled Iran's latest peace proposal "a piece of garbage" he didn't bother to finish reading.
"I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, 'Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living,'" the president said on May 11 in the Oval Office.
Trump had previously rejected Iran's response to the United States' latest proposal to end the war, declaring it "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE" in a May 10 social media post, though he did not provide further details.
The comments dashed hopes for an imminent end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that has caused widespread damage in the Middle East, stopped maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and driven up global energy prices. The United States had proposed an end to the fighting that would reopen the key oil shipping waterway and roll back Iran’s nuclear program.
In the Oval Office on May 11, Trump said the United States was prepared to continue its military campaign until it is completed. He said his plan remained the same: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
"They didn't want to go that far," Trump said of Iran's latest proposal. "How stupid. Are they stupid people?" the president asked. "They think that well, I'll get tired of this, or I'll get bored, or I'll have some pressure. But there's no pressure, there's no pressure at all."
Reuters, citing Iranian state media, reported that Iran’s proposal emphasized its sovereignty over the strait, called for war reparations from the United States and framed the U.S. proposal as a surrender to Trump’s demands.
"We will never bow our heads before the enemy, and if talk of dialogue or negotiation arises, it does not mean surrender or retreat," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X on May 10. "Rather, the goal is to uphold the rights of the Iranian nation and to defend national interests with resolute strength."
Tense days of attacks in the region
The biggest flare-ups in fighting since a ceasefire began have occurred in recent days in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Arab Emirates said on May 10 that it intercepted two drones coming from Iran, and Qatar condemned a drone attack that hit a cargo ship coming from Abu Dhabi in its waters. Kuwait said its air defenses had dealt with hostile drones that entered its airspace.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for international affairs, warned the French and British that any potential naval deployment to the strait would be met with military force.
"It is emphasized that the presence of French and British warships, or those of any other country potentially accompanying the illegal and internationally unlawful actions of the United States in the strait of Hormuz, will be met with a decisive and immediate response," Gharibabadi wrote on X on May 10.
French President Emmanuel Macron said at a news conference in Kenya that France has "never considered" deploying forces to the region but is "ready" to support security in the strait after hostilities end.
"We have built an ad hoc mission, copiloted with the British, which has brought together 50 countries and international organizations to enable, in concert with Iran and by deconflicting the matter with all the countries of the region and the United States, to ensure, as soon as conditions allow, the resumption of maritime traffic," Macron said.
Netanyahu said war is 'not over' in '60 Minutes' interview
In an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" that aired on May 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war "is not over."
The prime minister alleged that Iran still has nuclear material that could be removed if "you go in, and you take it out," in an excerpt of the interview released hours before Trump's post. Netanyahu said Trump told him that, "I want to go in there" and refused to rule out the use of American forces to retrieve the nuclear material.
"I'm not [going to] talk about military means," Netanyahu said. "I think it can be done physically."
Netanyahu added that military goals had not been completed. Israel receives about $3.8 billion of military aid from the United States annually, but Netanyahu said he wanted to wean the country off of it.
"I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have," he said. "I don't want to wait for the next Congress."
Netanyahu's appearance on the CBS News program comes as support for Israel in the United States hit a new low.
A Pew Research Center survey published April 7 found that 60% of all American adults had an unfavorable opinion of Israel compared with 53% a year earlier and a 20-point shift since 2022. Just 37% of respondents had a favorable view of Israel.
Oil prices jump on negotiation skid
Oil prices rose at the start of the trading week after news that negotiations had failed.
Brent crude futures climbed $3.21 to $104.50 a barrel by just after 6 p.m. ET on May 10, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate was at $98.48 a barrel, up $3.06.
The jump occurred despite the QatarEnergy-operated carrier Al Kharaitiyat passing safely through the Strait of Hormuz to reach Pakistan's Port Qasim, Reuters reported, citing data from shipping analytics firm Kpler. It was the first Qatari vessel carrying liquefied natural gas to cross the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Israel started the war on Feb. 28.
A Panama-flagged bulk carrier bound for Brazil that had previously attempted to transit the strait on May 4 passed through, using a route designated by Iran’s armed forces, Iranian state media announced May 10.
Contributing: Reuters