Trump Declines Iran’s Alternative Offer in Nuclear Talks: ‘Unacceptable’

President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Iran and the ongoing negotiations.

In speaking to reporters after the call he said he reiterated to Netanyahu Washington’s push to make a deal avoid direct conflict. 

“We are trying to reach an agreement to avoid destruction and death. I’ve communicated this clearly and hope for a positive outcome,” Trump stated. “However, it may not turn out that way.”

“We’ll soon find out,” he added. 

Trump indicated that Iran had submitted a counter-offer to the U.S. after rejecting a proposal from last week. He mentioned that this counter-offer is “just not acceptable” and emphasized the need for further negotiations, especially concerning enrichment requirements.

This call followed a warning from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog on Monday. The organization, responsible for overseeing global nuclear programs, expressed that it cannot verify whether Iran’s program is “entirely peaceful,” despite the regime’s assertions to the contrary.

This photo released on Nov. 5, 2019, by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran shows centrifuge machines in the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran.  (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP, File)

In February, the IAEA assessed that Tehran possessed 274.8 kilograms (605.8 pounds) worth of uranium enriched to 60%, but on May 17th it found Iran now has some 408.6 kilograms (900.8 pounds) – meaning the regime is just a technical step away from being able to make up to 10 nuclear warheads. 

Last week, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came out in strong opposition to a U.S. proposal submitted to Tehran to end its nuclear program, though it remains unclear what details were included in the document, including on enrichment capabilities, and on Sunday, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed the proposal didn’t include any sanction relief.

The White House has remained tight-lipped about what was included in the document, though according to some reporting, President Donald Trump gave Iran until June 11 to reach a deal with the U.S., though Fox News Digital could not independently verify these claims. 

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that “The U.S. proposal is not acceptable to us. It was not the result of previous rounds of negotiations.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei attends a press conference in Tehran, Iran, on May 26, 2025.  An interim nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States is not on Iran’s agenda, Baghaei said. (Shadati/Xinhua via Getty Images)

“We will present our own proposal to the other side via Oman after it is finalized. This proposal is reasonable, logical, and balanced,” Baghaei reportedly said.

Some reporting has also suggested Iran might submit their proposal as soon as June 10, though the Iranian UN mission in the U.S. would not comment on or confirm these claims.