Trump warns Middle East truce is on ‘life support’; Iran says it is prepared for any aggression

President Donald Trump warned on Monday that the Middle East ceasefire was on “life support” after rejecting Iran’s latest counterproposal, while Tehran said its military was prepared to respond to any aggression.

Trump sharply criticised Iran’s response to a US proposal, calling it “totally unacceptable,” a reaction that drove oil prices higher and dimmed hopes for a swift agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

Claiming the United States would achieve a “complete victory” over Iran, Trump said the truce that has largely halted Gulf fighting for more than a month was close to collapse.

“The ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a one percent chance of living,’” he told reporters.

Shortly afterward, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran was ready “for any eventuality.”

“Our armed forces are ready to respond and to teach a lesson for any aggression,” he wrote on X, adding that “bad strategy and bad decisions always lead to bad results.”

The escalating rhetoric rattled global energy markets already disrupted by the conflict and overlapping restrictions imposed by Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipments.

Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi oil giant Aramco, warned investors that the current energy supply shock was unprecedented.

“Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens today, it will take months for markets to stabilise,” he said, adding that any further delay could extend disruption into 2027.

Concerns have also grown over global fertiliser shortages, much of which is exported through Gulf ports, raising fears of a wider food crisis.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), warned that the world had only weeks to prevent a potentially “massive humanitarian crisis.”

“We may witness a crisis that will push 45 million more people into hunger and starvation,” he said.

Iran’s foreign ministry said its response to Washington demanded an end to the US naval blockade and a halt to regional warfare, including Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Tehran also called for the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad, which officials described as a legitimate demand rather than a concession.

The dispute comes amid continued tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme. The US, Israel and their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a claim Iran denies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that the conflict will not end until Iran’s nuclear facilities are destroyed.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran’s counterproposal included the possibility of diluting part of its highly enriched uranium stockpile and transferring the remainder to a third country.

The unresolved crisis has intensified attention on the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has tightened controls on maritime traffic and introduced toll mechanisms for passing vessels.

Trump said he was considering reviving a US naval escort mission for commercial ships in the Strait, though no final decision had been made.

At the same time, Washington imposed new sanctions on 12 individuals and entities accused of helping facilitate Iranian oil exports to China.

Iranian officials responded with fresh warnings, with parliamentary national security commission spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei declaring: “Our restraint is over as of today.”

“Any attack on our vessels will trigger a strong and decisive Iranian response against American ships and bases,” he warned.