May 1, 2026

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Ben Rezaei, Katherine Wells, Avery Borens, Carolyn Moorman, William Doran, Ria Reddy, and Annika Ganzeveld

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US President Donald Trump stated that he is “not satisfied” with Iran’s latest proposal. Iranian media reported on May 1 that Iran submitted a new proposal to the United States through Pakistani mediators on April 30. An unspecified regional source told Axios on May 1 that Iran delivered its response to the United States’ amendments to Iran’s previous proposal. The source stated that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff had sent amendments to Iran on April 27 that called on Iran to reinsert nuclear issues into the draft proposal and avoid moving enriched uranium from bombed facilities or resuming activity at those sites during negotiations. Iran’s previous proposal had sought to postpone US-Iran negotiations about nuclear issues to a later date. Trump’s dissatisfaction with Iran’s latest proposal reflects continued Iranian inflexibility on key issues, such as the nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. The Wall Street Journal reported on May 1 that Iran’s latest proposal calls for discussing “Tehran’s conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz at the same time as US guarantees to end its attacks and unwind its blockade of Iranian ports.” The Wall Street Journal noted that Iran had previously made the removal of the US blockade a precondition for talks. A Wall Street Journal reporter separately stated that Iran’s proposal “still puts nuclear [issues] in later stages of talks” and “rules out missile negotiations.” Iranian officials have continued to reiterate that the nuclear file is “closed” and not subject to negotiations. First Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad stated that the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous state and framed both the strait and nuclear advancements as Iranian “rights.” Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s Telegram channel separately framed Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz as a core pillar of Iran’s regional strategy, which suggests that the regime has not softened its position on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran is exploiting the current ceasefire to try to reconstitute its missile and drone capabilities ahead of a potential resumption of conflict. An unspecified US official and two people familiar with the matter told NBC News on May 1 that Iran is trying to recover weapons that it hid underground or were buried under debris from US and Israeli airstrikes. CNN previously reported on April 14 that satellite imagery showed that Iran was clearing debris at missile base entrances to regain access to missile launchers. Iran would likely use these launchers to restart its attack campaign against US interests, Israel, and other regional countries in the event of a resumption of conflict.

Two unspecified senior Iranian sources separately told Reuters on May 1 that Iran has activated air defenses and plans to conduct a “wide” response if attacked. The officials stated that Iran assesses that the United States may conduct “short, intensive” strikes followed by Israeli action. Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)-affiliated media reported on April 30 that Iranian air defenses activated across multiple areas of Tehran Province to counter small drones and reconnaissance drones. US and Israeli combined strikes have significantly degraded Iran’s air defense capabilities during the war.

• US President Donald Trump stated that he is “not satisfied” with Iran’s latest proposal. Trump’s dissatisfaction with Iran’s latest proposal reflects continued Iranian inflexibility on key issues, such as the nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz.

• Iran is exploiting the current ceasefire to try to reconstitute its missile and drone capabilities ahead of a potential resumption of conflict. Western media reported that Iran has made attempts to regain access to weapons and missile launchers that it hid underground or were buried under debris from US and Israeli airstrikes. Iran would likely use these launchers to restart its attack campaign against US interests, Israel, and other regional countries in the event of a resumption of conflict.

• Iranian media and officials are attempting to deflect responsibility for Iran’s dire economic conditions by attributing these conditions to US military and economic pressure. The US naval blockade and sanctions are certainly applying economic pressure on Iran, but the regime’s historical mismanagement of the economy, corruption, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)’s dominance over economic institutions have played a major role in deteriorating the Iranian economy.

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