Iran rejected U.S. demands including a long-term suspension of uranium enrichment and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, collapsing a tentative cease-fire deal. U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 10th (local time) that "we could strike Iran for another two weeks," raising concerns that the already fragile truce could fall apart entirely. The U.S.-China summit opening in Beijing on the 14th appears to be the last diplomatic breakthrough that could end the war.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that day, "I read the response from Iran's so-called 'representatives.' I do not like it. It is totally unacceptable." He rejected Iran's reply, which arrived a day later than he had expected. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that Iran proposed to dilute its highly enriched uranium domestically and transfer the remainder to a third country.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei made clear at a press conference that day that unfreezing Iranian assets held in foreign banks was a precondition for any negotiations. Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that Tehran demanded as core conditions for ending the war: a halt to fighting on all fronts, an end to the U.S. naval blockade against Iran, and the lifting of a 30-day ban on Iranian crude sales. Tasnim said, "No one in Iran is drafting a plan to please Trump," adding that "the U.S. president's reaction is of no importance whatsoever."
An incensed Trump escalated his rhetoric. In an interview with the U.S. current-affairs program "Full Measure" released that day, he said, "We can go back in for another two weeks and hit every target," adding, "We've completed about 70% of the targets we wanted, but there are other targets we can strike." The head of the administration effectively reversed the message of concluded military operations that his administration had issued last week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," likewise backed a resumption of Trump's airstrikes, saying Iran's uranium enrichment facilities must be dismantled.
The world's attention is focused on the imminent U.S.-China summit. Ahead of the talks, Washington has already ratcheted up pressure on Beijing, imposing successive sanctions on Chinese refiners and firms for purchasing Iranian crude and supporting Iran's military industry. China has signaled a mediating role. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that day, "China will continue to play an active role going forward in urging a cease-fire, an end to the war, reconciliation and dialogue." Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's ambassador to China, said on X (formerly Twitter) on the 11th, "Iran is prepared to support the four-point proposal put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping."
For China, whose Iranian crude supplies have been disrupted by the war, a swift end to hostilities is also urgent. But Beijing differs from Washington in that it hopes the situation will be resolved with the current Iranian regime intact. China has also avoided direct Middle East involvement, which may fall short of U.S. expectations.
The White House said the two leaders will meet at least six times over two days at the summit. Trump arrives in Beijing on the evening of the 13th, followed by a welcoming ceremony, the summit, a visit to the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) park and a state dinner on the 14th, and a tea meeting and working luncheon on the 15th. Beyond the formal summit attended by both countries' economic, diplomatic and security teams, the two leaders are expected to have numerous opportunities for private, one-on-one conversations.
Beyond Iran, the U.S. and China face a stack of issues to resolve. The White House said the talks will cover a wide range of agenda items, including trade issues such as the establishment of U.S.-China trade and investment committees, security matters including nuclear weapons, and artificial intelligence (AI). U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will meet in South Korea on the 13th, the day before the summit, for preliminary negotiations.
