Iran says it will 'never bow' as Trump rejects peace counteroffer, prolonging Middle East conflict

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Gambia-flagged tanker vessel Bili is pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. (Photo by Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via ) / Amirhossein Khorgooei | Afp | U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran's counterproposal to end the 10-week war in the Middle East, calling it "totally unacceptable," while Tehran vowed to "never bow," prolonging a standoff that has choked the Strait of Hormuz and roiled global energy markets. "I have just read the response from Iran's so-called "Representatives." I don't like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!" the president said in a Truth Social post on Sunday. Iranian state media framed Tehran's response as a rejection of the U.S. proposal , which it characterized as a demand for "surrender." In its response to the latest U.S. proposal, Tehran has insisted on war reparations, full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of frozen Iranian assets. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone as negotiations proceeded Sunday. "We will never bow our heads before the enemy, and if talk of dialogue or negotiation arises, it does not mean surrender or retreat," he said on X in Persian, translated via Grok. …