President Trump on Saturday morning turned down a new seven-day proposal from Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and pausing military operations in the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump acknowledged Iran's interest in a deal but said the terms were insufficient. "They want to make a deal, and I think that's fine," he said. "I like making a deal, too, but that deal would not be acceptable."
The rejection comes as the president faces mounting pressure ahead of the midterm elections to wind down the monthslong war. The closure of the strait—a critical oil transit chokepoint—has driven energy prices higher, fueling public discontent with U.S. military involvement. Trump's job approval rating has fallen to a career low of 32 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos survey released this week, with just 17 percent of respondents approving of his handling of rising living costs, a top voter concern this cycle.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will sit down with CBS News's Margaret Brennan for an interview airing Sunday on "Face the Nation." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who has led Tehran's negotiating team on the strait, is set to appear on NBC News's "Meet the Press."
Some Republicans fear the conflict could jeopardize their hold on Congress in November, especially as Trump repeatedly urges voters to treat the election as a referendum on him. "You have to vote like I'm on the ballot," he has said. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a staunch Trump ally, will join "Face the Nation" on Sunday to discuss the GOP's strategy with less than six weeks until Election Day.
Earlier this week, Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York before holding bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On the sidelines, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, met with members of the Iranian delegation. In his U.N. remarks, Trump defended his handling of the Iran war and called on nations to join the U.S. in "the complete economic isolation of Iran."
"They were the bully of the Middle East, but they are the bully no more," he said. "From the first day I entered the political arena, I've been unwavering. I will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz will appear on both "Meet the Press" and CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
Later in the week, Trump rolled out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping's first U.S. state visit in over a decade. The two leaders attended a lavish state dinner, toured Trump's updates to the White House grounds, and exchanged gifts. While they discussed artificial intelligence development and Taiwan, the summit yielded few concrete policy announcements. Trump has dismissed calls to curb advanced AI development, citing competition with China.
On Friday, Trump said he had a "very productive meeting" with Xi, during which the two leaders discussed the issue. "Like almost everyone else, he seemed to like calling the poorly and inaccurately named Artificial Intelligence to a far more accurate and important name, SUPER INTELLIGENCE," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
David Perdue, the U.S. ambassador to China, will appear on Fox News's "Fox News Sunday" to discuss Xi's White House visit. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the ranking member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is scheduled for "Face the Nation."
Sunday Show Lineup
- NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday": Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.)
- CBS News's "Face the Nation": Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Taiwan Ambassador to the U.S. Alexander Yui, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.)
- CNN's "State of the Union": UN Ambassador Mike Waltz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
- Fox News's "Fox News Sunday": U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue, Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, NASA astronaut Chris Williams
- NBC News's "Meet the Press": Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, UN Ambassador Mike Waltz, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates
- Fox News's "Sunday Morning Futures": Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg
- ABC News's "This Week": Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Attorney General Todd Blanche, Cook Political Report political analyst Charlie Cook
