Geopolitics dominated the day as several conflicts and negotiations moved in uncertain directions. Donald Trump flatly rejected Iran’s response to a U.S.-backed peace proposal as “totally unacceptable,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled there will be no end to the war with Iran until enriched uranium is removed and key enrichment sites are dismantled. In Europe, Vladimir Putin struck a cautiously conciliatory note, claiming the Ukraine war is nearing its end and floating a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, but only once a lasting peace framework is in place. At the same time, Washington and Beijing are preparing for high-stakes trade talks in Seoul ahead of a Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, suggesting economic diplomacy remains active even amid wider tensions. In India, politics also paused to mark the death of Karnataka minister and veteran Congress leader D. Sudhakar, who died after a prolonged illness.