Iran's parliament speaker insists 'no alternative' to 14-point proposal

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Monday said that "there is no alternative" except accepting the rights of the Iranian people outlined in Iran's 14-point proposal.

Any other approach would yield no results but repeated failures, he posted on social media, adding that the longer the delay, the more American taxpayers will pay.

Earlier, he also warned the country's armed forces are ready to give a "lesson-teaching" response to any aggression.

"Our armed forces are ready to give a lesson-teaching response to any aggression," Ghalibaf said, stressing, "We are ready for all options. They will be surprised."

The remarks came after US President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed Iran's Sunday response to a US proposal.

Here are the latest developments on the front.

Trump says Iran ceasefire is 'on life support' as hopes for a deal fade

Trump said on Monday that a ceasefire with Iran was "on life support" after Tehran's response to a US proposal to end the conflict made clear the two sides were still far apart on a number of issues.

Iran has called for an end ‌to the conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon, where US ally Israel is fighting Hezbollah. Tehran also demanded compensation for damage, an end to the US naval blockade, a guarantee of no further attacks and resumption of Iranian oil sales.

Tehran also emphasized its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, where it has shut down shipping traffic that normally carries one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply.

Trump said Iran's response threatened the status of a ceasefire that has been in place since April.

"I would call it the weakest right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it," said Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to end the ceasefire.

The US had proposed an end to fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program.

Tehran defends its stance

Elaborating on Iran's peace proposal at a weekly press conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran has solely demanded its people's "legitimate" rights in it.

Baghaei added that ending the war in West Asia, stopping US "maritime piracy" against Iranian ships in the form of a naval blockade, releasing the assets belonging to Iran's people that have been blocked in foreign banks for years, ensuring safe traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and establishing peace and security in the entire region are not "excessive demands."

Meanwhile, Iran's atomic chief said on Monday that the country's nuclear technology and uranium enrichment are non-negotiable, the official news agency IRNA reported.

"The issue of nuclear technology is not on the agenda of the negotiations (with the United States), and enrichment is non-negotiable," Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, was quoted as saying in the report.

Trump weighs restarting military operation to guide ships out of Hormuz Strait

Trump said he is considering restarting and expanding Project Freedom, a US military operation to guide commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

If resumed, the project would be conducted this time with an expanded scope beyond just escorting vessels through the crucial global waterway, Trump told Fox News.

No final decision on whether to restart the project has been made, Trump added.

Trump launched the project one week ago and suspended it less than 48 hours later.

(With input from agencies)