Iran submits response to US peace plan as Netanyahu insists conflict continues

Iran handed over its response to a US peace proposal on Sunday, according to local media. The country's ISNA news agency said Iran's response centers on "ending the war and maritime security" in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, but provided no other details about the substance of the reply.

Pakistan acted as a mediator in delivering Iran's answer. The US proposal, if Iran accepts it, would formally end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. More difficult negotiations on other issues—chiefly Iran's nuclear program—would follow only after those initial terms are met.

President Donald Trump had expected Iran's response by Friday, but the deadline passed. On Sunday, as negotiations remained uncertain, Iran apparently launched several drones toward Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, raising tensions just as talks progressed.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signaled his country's position on a potential deal through a post on X. "We will never bow down to the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or retreat," he wrote, framing any agreement as a tactical move rather than capitulation.

Iran's military leadership also sent a signal of resolve. Ali Abdollahi, the country's military chief, met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and received "new directives and guidance for the continuation of operations to confront the enemy," according to Iranian state television.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a starkly different view in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes." He said the war is "not over" because Iran still holds enriched uranium that "has to be taken out" of the country. Netanyahu also cited ongoing work needed against Iran's military capabilities, including dismantling enrichment sites and preventing the production of ballistic missiles.

"There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that Iran supports. There are ballistic missiles that they still want to produce. Now, we've degraded a lot of it, but all that is still there, and there's work to be done," Netanyahu said in remarks previewed from the full interview.

Netanyahu suggested that highly enriched uranium—believed to be stored in underground facilities near Isfahan—could be removed with or without a deal with Tehran. When asked how such material should be taken out, he answered: "You go in, and you take it out." He indicated that President Trump supports either approach, though Netanyahu declined to outline any military plans or timeline.

"What President Trump has said to me: 'I wanna go in there.' And I think it can be done physically. That's not the problem. If you have an agreement and you go in and you take it out, why not? That's the best way," Netanyahu stated. When pressed on whether force could be used if no agreement materializes, he refused to elaborate, saying he would not discuss "military possibilities" or provide "a timetable."

Trump struck a more optimistic tone about the conflict's trajectory. In a separate interview aired Sunday, Trump said Iran was "militarily defeated" and downplayed concern about the enriched uranium, saying it could be removed "whenever we want."

"We'll get that at some point, whenever we want," Trump told independent journalist Sharyl Attkisson. "We have that very well surveilled. If anybody got near the place, we will know about it, and we'll blow them up."

Trump also left open the possibility of resuming military strikes against Iran. He said US forces could "go in for two more weeks and do every single target," noting that roughly 70 percent of intended targets have already been hit. He framed any remaining strikes as "final touches" rather than essential operations.

Iran possesses approximately 440 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Weapons-grade uranium requires 90% enrichment, making Iran's stockpile a short technical step away from usable material for nuclear weapons. The IAEA estimates roughly 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) is stored in tunnels near Isfahan.

According to the IAEA's calculations, Iran's current stockpile could be converted into as many as 10 nuclear bombs if the country chose to weaponize its nuclear program. Iran has long claimed its nuclear activities are peaceful, but the enrichment levels it has reached have no civilian applications.

Tehran has publicly stated its goal of destroying Israel and has resisted international pressure to limit its nuclear ambitions. The divergence between Trump's willingness to negotiate and Netanyahu's insistence on removing enriched uranium reveals a fundamental disagreement between the two leaders over the terms under which the conflict might end.