STORY: The fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is once again under pressure.
That's after U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (May 11) rejected Tehran's latest response to a U.S. proposal to end the war.
"After reading that piece of garbage they sent us, I didn't even finish reading it. They said, I'm not gonna waste my time reading it, I would see it's one of the weakest, right now, it's on life support."
The U.S. wants fighting to stop first, before moving on to negotiations on more complex issues like Iran's nuclear program.
But Tehran is pushing back, calling for an end to conflict across the region, including in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah.
It's also demanding compensation for war damages, an end to the U.S. naval blockade, guarantees against further attacks, and a return to freely exporting its oil.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz shipping route has dropped to a trickle amid the threat of Iranian attacks, and the disruption is rippling through global markets.
Oil prices have jumped back above $100 a barrel in recent days as peace hopes faded.
Washington on Monday piled on pressure, announcing new sanctions targeting Iran's oil shipments to China.
But in the U.S., public support is slipping.
With midterm elections looming, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows most Americans feel the president has not clearly explained the war's goals.
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Now the focus turns to Trump's expected meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week.
The U.S. president has been leaning on Beijing to use its influence to push Tehran towards a deal.
