Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days and resume nuclear talks, in exchange for lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. The seven-month-old conflict has disrupted oil flows through the critical shipping lane and is increasing the cost of living around the globe.
Trump rejected Iran's offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week and restart nuclear talks. According to the Guardian: "They made a proposal but I reject it," the US president told reporters at the White House.
Iran's proposal and Trump's terms
Iran presented the offer during a three-hour meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York earlier this week. Under the plan, Iran would reopen the strait — relieving pressure on global energy markets — and restart nuclear talks within seven days.
In return, Iran wanted the US to lift its naval blockade, permit the release of some of Iran's frozen assets, and restore the waiver lifting sanctions on Iran's oil exports, while observing a ceasefire on all fronts. That would have required Trump to convince Israel to end its attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Sunday that reopening the strait remained contingent on Iran's conditions being fulfilled, state broadcaster IRIB reported. He added that Iran would not back down from its position.
Strikes expected to resume after midterms
Trump has told aides he expects to resume bombing Iran after the November midterms, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials. The president was said to be privately sceptical Iran would meet his demands to dismantle its nuclear programme.
On Friday evening, Trump published a post on his Truth Social platform showing a map with the Strait of Hormuz renamed the "Trump Strait."
Blockade keeps pressure on oil flows
The US naval blockade is putting intense pressure on the Iranian economy, while the seven-month-old conflict has disrupted oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping lanes. Trump has previously said he was in no rush to reach a deal, even as high oil prices fuel inflation.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said after meeting UN Secretary-General António Guterres that Iran had not walked away from the negotiating table, though it no longer trusts the United States given past experiences. Speaking to CBS's Face the Nation, he said Tehran was ready for talks but would not accept bullying or coercion.
The conflict began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks and has since alternated between pauses and renewed strikes. Iran and its allies have extended the fighting regionally: Iran has struck US allies in the Gulf with drones and missiles, its Houthi allies in Yemen have targeted Saudi interests, and Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq were blamed for a pipeline attack that temporarily removed more Saudi oil from the market.
Source: The Guardian
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