Trump rejects Iran’s latest proposal as he reviews new military options to relaunch war

[0:00] Welcome to the NewsHour. Iran today submitted a new proposal to the U.S. aimed at breaking a [0:05] diplomatic deadlock, but President Trump rejected it and said he's reviewing new military options [0:11] to relaunch the war. It's been 60 days since the war began, which means today is a legal deadline [0:17] for the administration to seek congressional authorization. But the White House informed [0:22] Congress it didn't need to get its approval because the war had been, quote, terminated [0:26] during the current ceasefire. Nick Schifrin's here. He's been following all of this. So, Nick, tell us [0:31] more about what the president said today. The president not only rejected Iran's new proposal, [0:36] he expressed a deep skepticism that Iran could ever submit a proposal that would satisfy him. [0:42] So they want to make a deal, but I don't, I'm not satisfied with it. So we'll see what happens. [0:47] They've made strides, but I'm not sure if they ever get there. [0:52] There's tremendous discord. There's tremendous, they're having a tremendous problem getting along [1:00] with each other in Iran. So on the one hand, no deal and little prospect for a deal. But the [1:06] president also acknowledged yesterday, receiving a briefing from his top Middle East commander, [1:10] Admiral Brad Cooper, what President Trump told Fox News' Peter Doocy were two main options. [1:18] Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of him and finish him forever, or do we want to [1:23] try and make a deal? And those are the options. Do you want to go black the hell out of him [1:27] and finish him forever? I'd prefer not. On a human basis, I'd prefer not. But that's the option. Do [1:32] we want to go in there heavy and just blast them away? Or do we want to do something? They're a very [1:39] disjointed unership, as you can understand, Peter, very disjointed. I mean, they're not getting along [1:47] with each other. And it puts us in a bad position. One group wants to make a certain deal. The other group [1:53] wants to make a certain deal, including the hardliners. [1:56] So all that said, a U.S. official tells me, Alana, tonight, the options are actually not as black and [2:01] white as the president proposes. This official says there is, on the one hand, little appetite [2:06] by the administration to restart the war in full. But at the same time, there is an impatience with [2:12] what this official called Iran dragging its feet. So, as always, there are multiple military options, [2:17] including what the official said was one that would try to accelerate a deal without blowing up [2:24] the possibility of a deal and without restarting the war in full. And what that could be is trying [2:29] to reopen the strait, trying to reduce Iran's ability to launch drones, launch cruise missiles [2:34] at ships, at ports in the strait. And while the economic pressure, while the diplomatic efforts [2:39] would continue. And remember, the president and the military have many options because there are still [2:45] many U.S. military assets in and around the Persian Gulf. And there's still a U.S. blockade [2:49] that the president and U.S. other officials really believe are really choking Iran's economy. [2:54] So, Iran's proposal that the president rejected, what do we know about what was in that proposal? [2:58] We don't know exactly. But for the president, it's clearly not enough of a change from the proposal [3:02] that Iran submitted just last weekend that I reported, according to a regional and Iranian [3:07] official, was that if that Iran would reopen the strait, if the U.S. lifts its blockade, [3:13] unfreezes Iranian assets and, crucially, pauses any negotiation of Iran's nuclear program. [3:20] The president said, today, Iran is asking for things that I can't agree to, but didn't provide [3:24] any specifics. [3:24] So, as you mentioned, today is that 60-day deadline required by the War Powers Act for [3:28] the White House to get congressional authorization to continue that war. They say they don't need [3:33] that authorization. Why not? [3:34] Well, the president argued today the War Powers Act is unconstitutional, which is an argument [3:39] that every president, as you know, since Richard Nixon, since 1973, has made. But the president's [3:44] lawyers are taking it seriously, apparently, because the White House released this letter [3:48] that it sent to Congress. And it said this, quote, [3:52] There has been no exchange of fire between United States forces and Iran since April 7, [3:58] 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 have terminated. Terminated, even though, [4:05] of course, we just talked about how the president said himself that he could restart the war at any [4:10] time. We spoke to Harold Koh, professor of Yale Law School and President Obama's former top [4:15] State Department lawyer. And he said it's as if the president is trying to rewrite the War Powers [4:21] Resolution and add a pause button. [4:25] It's misunderstanding the text of the War Powers Resolution, which says that 60 days after U.S. [4:31] Armed Forces are introduced, which is 60 days after February 28th. The president shall terminate [4:38] any use of the U.S. Armed Forces that were made at that time. In other words, pull all the troops [4:43] that have been sent in out. He's not doing that. This is not a shot clock in basketball. It's the game [4:50] clock. It's ticking down from 60 days, and those 60 days are up. [4:54] Now, all of a sudden, Amna, as of now, Republicans in Congress have not been willing to enforce [4:59] the War Powers Resolution. There have been six votes so far that would have required the administration [5:03] to withdraw all U.S. military forces from war in Iran unless Congress authorized the use of [5:09] military force in Iran. All six votes have failed. But our colleague Lisa Desjardins has been reporting [5:14] that there is private concern, private concern among Republicans that could become public votes [5:20] against the administration if the president were to relaunch full combat operations. And Harold [5:26] Coe argues the point here, the bottom-line point here, is that even if Congress isn't willing today [5:30] to enforce the War Powers Act, it maintains the threat to do so. [5:35] The decision points will mount. What this is like is when you've parked in a parking space and time is [5:42] up. You may not get a ticket for a while, but you're certainly under pressure to figure out some kind [5:48] of solution to legalize it or to get out. And that's what he's feeling. [5:53] Meanwhile, Nick, some news late today about U.S. troops in Germany. What's the latest? [5:57] Yeah, the spokesperson for Pete Hegsest, Secretary of Defense, has confirmed this afternoon to me [6:03] and other reporters that the U.S. will withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. There are about 36,000 [6:09] or so troops in Germany right now, so 70,000 troops in Europe. So a portion of what the U.S. has in [6:16] Europe, of course, coming after a bit of a war of words between President Trump and Chancellor of [6:22] Germany, Friedrich Merz, Merz criticizing the president for not having an exit plan, the [6:26] president criticizing those comments. And here you go, 5,000 troops withdraw over the next [6:30] six to 12 months. [6:31] Nick Schifrin, beginning our coverage tonight. Nick, thank you. [6:33] Thank you. [6:33] Support journalism you trust. Support PBS News. Donate now or even better, start a monthly contribution [6:53] today.