'Iran Knows They're Losing': Trump Rejects Tehran's Desperate Ceasefire Proposal as They Continue to Cave on Point After Point

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he expects the war with Iran to end soon, projecting confidence that American military and economic pressure will force a resolution on terms stronger than those Tehran has offered.

Speaking a day after rejecting Iran’s proposal, Trump made clear that he remains open to negotiations but sees no reason to accept conditions he considers inadequate given Iran’s weakened position.

Tehran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington lifting its naval blockade, ending sanctions on Iranian oil sales and accepting a ceasefire that would extend to Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah are fighting, according to PBS.

Trump dismissed the proposal, arguing that Iran is “losing so badly.”

“They want to make a deal and I think that’s fine,” Trump said. “I’d like to make a deal, too. But that deal would not be acceptable.”

The president nevertheless indicated that diplomatic exchanges would continue.

“I expect more talks with Iran [this week]. They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make. It is what we would have maybe agreed to a year ago. They overplayed their hand,” Trump said Sunday, according to Axios.

His position signals that Washington is seeking terms reflecting the pressure already brought to bear on Tehran, rather than treating Iran’s proposed concessions as sufficient grounds to ease that pressure.

While attending the PGA Tour Presidents Cup, Trump predicted that victory would come “very soon” and said an end to the conflict would bring substantial relief to oil markets.

“I think what’s going to happen is we’re going to win this war very soon, and as soon as we win it, the oil will go down, way down to what it was before the war,” Trump said, according to Fox News.

Iran, meanwhile, indicated a willingness to permit access by United Nations nuclear inspectors. Asked about allowing inspectors into the country, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed that position, according to CBS News.

“That is absolutely correct,” he said.

For Trump, preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains the central objective, regardless of the diplomatic terms under discussion.

“And the key is, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” he said, describing nuclear deterrence as “key to the whole thing.”

Asked whether he anticipated a military victory or an economic one, Trump rejected the distinction.

“I think both. I think we’ll win it both ways. We’ve already won it really from a military standpoint. But that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped that.”

He then described Iran’s economy and armed forces as severely damaged, citing inflation figures as part of his assessment.

“We’re certainly winning it very big. If you look at their economy, it’s gone. They have no economy,” he continued. “The value of their money is, as they say, valueless. We have inflation. They have inflation now of close to 300 percent. I heard 318 percent as of this morning. Three hundred, meaning their money is shot, their economy is shot, their military is shot. They’re in trouble.”

Those figures were presented by Trump as evidence of Tehran’s vulnerability and his administration’s negotiating leverage.

Supporters of the president’s approach have likewise argued that Iran’s offer reflects mounting pressure rather than a reason for Washington to make concessions.

In a post on X, Eric Daugherty wrote that “Iran knows they’re LOSING and can no longer pretend they control Hormuz. It’s the Trump Strait!”

Daugherty credited American maritime protection, the blockade and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s economic pressure campaign with weakening Iran’s position.

“Tens of millions of barrels are now surging out of the region, the US military is helping protect vessels, the blockade is working and Scott Bessent is torching the Iranian economy. Now all of a sudden Iran wants to ‘reopen Hormuz’ only in exchange for ‘resuming peace talks?’ They went up against a geopolitical masterclass and are sorely regretting it,” he wrote.

“FULL STEAM AHEAD! Especially if oil keeps coming out, no reason to give them anything!” he wrote.

Trump’s confidence about the outcome did not extend to disclosing the timing of potential military action.

Asked whether strikes could occur before the upcoming midterm elections, the president declined to commit publicly to a timetable.

“I don’t want to say that. I don’t want to say that. I mean, it’s possible, but I just don’t want to say that,” he said.

The administration’s position remains that negotiations can proceed while pressure continues. Trump says he wants an agreement, but his rejection of Tehran’s offer makes clear that reopening Hormuz on Iran’s proposed terms is not enough to secure one.