Trump rejects Iran's latest proposal as he reviews new military options to relaunch war

Geoff Bennett:

Iran today submitted a new proposal to the U.S. aimed at breaking a diplomatic deadlock, but President Trump rejected it and said he's reviewing new military options to relaunch the war.

Amna Nawaz:

It's been 60 days since the war began, which means today is a legal deadline for the administration to seek congressional authorization. But the White House informed Congress it didn't need to get its approval because the war had been -- quote -- "terminated" during the current cease-fire.

Nick Schifrin is here. He's been following all of this.

So, Nick, tell us more about what the president said today.

Nick Schifrin:

Amna, the president not only rejected Iran's new proposal. He expressed a deep skepticism that Iran could ever submit a proposal that would satisfy him.

President Donald Trump:

So, they want to make a deal, but I don't -- I'm not satisfied with it, so we will see what happens. They have made strides, but I'm not sure if they ever get there.

There's tremendous discord. There's tremendous -- they're having a tremendous problem getting along with each other in Iran.

Nick Schifrin:

So, on the one hand no deal and little prospect for a deal, but the president also acknowledged yesterday receiving a briefing from his top Middle East commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, what President Trump told FOX News' Peter Doocy were two main options.

Donald Trump:

Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal? And those are the options.

Peter Doocy, FOX News Senior White House Correspondent:

Do you want to go and blast the hell out of them?

(Crosstalk)

Donald Trump:

I would prefer not. On a human basis, I would prefer not. But that's the option. Do we want to go in there heavy and just blast them away? Or do we want to do something? They're a very disjointed leadership, as you can understand, Peter, very disjointed.

I mean, they're not getting along with each other, and it puts us in a bad position. One group wants to make a certain deal. The other group wants to make a certain deal, including the hard-liners.

Nick Schifrin:

So, all that said, a U.S. official tells me, Amna, tonight the options are actually not as black and white as the president proposes.

This official says there is on the one hand little appetite by the administration to restart the war in full, but at the same time there is an impatience with what this official called Iran dragging its feet. So, as always, there are multiple military options, including what the official said was one that would try to accelerate a deal without blowing up the possibility of a deal and without restarting the war in full.

And what that could be is trying to reopen the strait, trying to reduce Iran's ability to launch drones, launch cruise missiles at ships, at ports in the strait, and while the economic pressure, while the diplomatic efforts would continue.

And, remember, the president and the military have many options, because there are still many U.S. military assets in and around the Persian Gulf, and there's still a U.S. blockade that the president and U.S. other officials really believe are really choking Iran's economy.

Amna Nawaz:

So Iran's proposal that the president rejected, what do we know about what was in that proposal?

Nick Schifrin:

We don't know exactly, but for the president, it's clearly not enough of a change from the proposal that Iran submitted just last weekend that I reported, according to a regional and Iranian official, was that if -- that Iran would reopen the strait if the U.S. lifts its blockade, unfreezes Iranian assets, and, crucially, pauses any negotiation of Iran's nuclear program.

The president said today "Iran is asking for things that I can't agree to," but didn't provide any specifics.

Amna Nawaz:

So, as you mentioned, today is that 60-day deadline required by the War Powers Act for the White House to get congressional authorization to continue that war. They say they don't need that authorization.

Why not?

Nick Schifrin:

Well, the president argued today the War Powers Act is unconstitutional, which is an argument that every president, as you know, since Richard Nixon, since 1973, has made.

But the president's lawyers are taking it seriously apparently, because the White House released this letter that it sent to Congress, and it said this -- quote -- "There has been no exchange of fire between United States forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 20, 2026, have terminated," terminated, even though, of course, Amna, we just talked about how the president said himself that he could restart the war at any time.

We spoke to Harold Koh, professor of Yale Law School and President Obama's former top State Department lawyer, and he said it's as if the president is trying to rewrite the war powers resolution and add a pause button.

Harold Hongju Koh, Former State Department Official:

It's misunderstanding the text of the war powers resolution, which says that 60 days after U.S. armed forces are introduced, which is 60 days after February 28, the president shall terminate any use of the U.S. armed forces that were made at that time, in other words, pull all the troops that have been sent in out.

He's not doing that. This is not a shot clock in basketball. It's the game clock. It's ticking down from 60 days. And those 60 days are up.

Nick Schifrin:

Now, all of this said, Amna, as of now, Republicans in Congress have not been willing to enforce the war powers resolution. There have been six votes so far that would have required the administration to withdraw all U.S. military forces from war in Iran unless Congress authorized the use of military force in Iran.

All six votes have failed. But our colleague Lisa Desjardins has been reporting that there is private concern, private concern, among Republicans that could become public votes against the administration if the president were to relaunch full combat operations.

And Harold Koh argues the point here, the bottom line point here, is that, even if Congress isn't willing today to enforce the War Powers Act, it maintains the threat to do so.

Harold Hongju Koh:

The decision points will mount. And what this is like is when you have parked in a parking space and time is up. You may not get a ticket for a while, but you're certainly under pressure to figure out some kind of solution to legalize it or to get out. And that's what he's feeling.

Amna Nawaz:

Meanwhile, Nick, some news late today about U.S. troops in Germany. What's the latest?

Nick Schifrin:

Yes, the spokesperson for Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense, has confirmed this afternoon to me and other reporters that the U.S. will withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. There are about 36,000 or so troops in Germany right now, so 70,000 troops in Europe.

So a portion of what the U.S. has in Europe, of course, coming after a bit of a war of words between President Trump and chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, Merz criticizing the president for not having an exit plan, the president criticizing those comments. And here you go, 5,000 troop withdraw over the next six to 12 months.

Amna Nawaz:

Nick Schifrin beginning our coverage tonight.

Nick, thank you.

Nick Schifrin:

Thank you.