Senior Democrat says US in ‘worse position’ on Iran

Donald Trump said the United States will begin escorting foreign vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday under a plan he described as a humanitarian effort.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said countries not involved in the conflict had asked Washington to help free ships “locked up” in the waterway, describing them as “neutral and innocent bystanders.”

He said the US would use “best efforts” to guide ships and crews safely out of what he called restricted waters, adding that many vessels were running low on food and essential supplies.

Trump also said US representatives were engaged in “very positive discussions” with Iran that could lead to broader progress, framing the operation as a goodwill gesture.

He warned, however, that any attempt to interfere with the effort “will… have to be dealt with forcefully.”

Iran’s foreign ministry dismissed an Al Jazeera report that said Tehran’s proposal to the United States included Iran’s return to enrichment at 3.6% under a “zero-storage principle,” saying the 14-point plan was focused only on ending the war.

“I once again emphasize that Iran’s 14-point proposal is focused exclusively on ending the war,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state television.

“Therefore, none of the issues addressed by some media have any place in our proposal,” he added.

“In the current circumstances, we do not have nuclear negotiations,” he said.

Donald Trump said he had reviewed Iran’s latest proposal and found it unacceptable, Israel’s Kan News reported on Sunday, citing an interview with the US president.

“It’s not acceptable to me. I’ve studied it, I’ve studied everything — it’s not acceptable,” Kan News quoted Trump as saying in a brief phone interview.

Trump added that the campaign is going “great.”

He said that “the Iranians want to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied with what they’ve offered,” adding that “there are things I can’t agree to.”

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said on Sunday that the longer the Iran war continues, the greater the risks of higher inflation and economic damage, limiting how much guidance the Fed should give on rate policy.

“I don't feel comfortable signaling that a rate cut is in the cards. You know, we might be in worse scenarios, we might have to go the other direction,” Kashkari said on CBS’s Face the Nation program.

Kashkari said he was “very focused” on the war’s impact on inflation and economic demand amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said President Donald Trump should “finish the job” in Iran and resume military strikes if Tehran continues to be “provocative.”

Graham told the Financial Times that the United States needed to “open up the strait” and should do “whatever combination of events is necessary to start the flow” of ships.

“Between the blockade, which has been brilliantly executed, and letting Iran know that Kharg Island is in play, hopefully that will create some deterrence,” Graham said, referring to Iran’s oil export hub.

“If it doesn’t, (we need to) just stand up to Iran, don’t let them get away with blackmailing the world,” he added.