Iran’s profound distrust of American negotiating intentions was on stark display Wednesday, with the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson describing what he called a catastrophic experience with US diplomacy. Iran had twice been militarily attacked while in active negotiations with the United States — once during a 12-day war with Israel the previous summer, and once during the current conflict when a comprehensive deal had reportedly been progressing. This track record had made Iranian negotiators deeply wary of any engagement that could be used as cover for further strikes, a concern that shaped Tehran’s cautious and conditional response to the US ceasefire proposal.
That proposal — a 15-point document delivered through Pakistani intermediaries — called for nuclear disarmament, missile restrictions, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and sanctions relief. Iran rejected it in full and submitted a five-point counter-plan requiring an end to all attacks on Iranian officials and territory, security guarantees, war reparations, and sovereign Iranian control over the strait. An unnamed official confirmed through state television that Iran would not accept externally set terms and would fight until its own conditions were satisfied. The foreign minister added that Iran had no current intention of negotiating.
The killing of pragmatic Iranian figures had further complicated the diplomatic picture. Ali Larijani, among the most experienced and moderately inclined members of Iran’s national security establishment, had been killed during the conflict, along with other officials who might have served as negotiating interlocutors. Israel had explicitly threatened the lives of remaining Iranian officials, creating what was described as a safety problem for any Iranian who openly engaged with American envoys. These conditions created a trust deficit that no single ceasefire proposal could easily overcome.
Fighting continued regardless. Israel struck multiple Iranian targets including a submarine development facility in Isfahan, completing several waves of attacks. Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles against Israel and drone attacks on Gulf nations, causing a fire at Kuwait’s international airport and drawing Saudi air defence intercepts. The US military had struck over 10,000 Iranian targets, destroyed 92% of its largest naval vessels, and degraded most of its missile production infrastructure. Thousands more US troops were being sent to the region, and Iran was warning against any ground operation with threats of carpet-bombing and Red Sea attacks.
President Trump insisted Iran secretly wanted a deal and was merely afraid to say so, naming Kushner, Witkoff, Rubio, and Vance as active participants in contact with Iranian parties — a claim Iran’s officials denied. Egyptian and Pakistani officials maintained hope for direct talks by Friday. The White House noted that Trump’s Beijing visit on May 14 remained scheduled, fuelling speculation about an unofficial deadline for the conflict’s resolution. Whether Iran’s deep-seated distrust of American diplomatic engagement could be overcome — through sufficient guarantees, gestures, or time — remained the war’s central diplomatic question.