US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt fighting across the Middle East, confirming his decision after earlier reports that Washington had turned down the initiative.
Tehran presented the plan during the UN General Assembly in New York and conveyed it to Washington through Qatari mediators. Iranian officials said it could restore passage through the strategic waterway and stop regional hostilities within seven days.
“I reject their proposal. … I rejected their deal,” Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for Tennessee.
Trump argued that economic pressure was driving Iran’s effort to secure an agreement, claiming Tehran urgently wanted the strait reopened because its revenues had been squeezed.
“They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” he said. “We’re winning tremendously.”
Washington has imposed an economic blockade on Iran to pressure Tehran into ending its restrictions on shipping through Hormuz. Traffic through the waterway has fallen sharply during the conflict, disrupting oil supplies and weighing on the global economy.
Trump again asserted that the United States controlled the strait.
The Wall Street Journal had reported his rejection before Saturday’s remarks, citing unnamed US officials. The newspaper also said Trump doubted Iran would meet his demands and had told aides that a renewed bombing campaign was likely after November’s congressional midterm elections.
Earlier, a US official had described indirect discussions with Iran as “positive and constructive”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that acceptance of Tehran’s proposal would start a seven-day countdown towards reopening Hormuz and pausing fighting across the region.
An agreement could then pave the way for broader negotiations on subjects accepted by both sides, potentially including Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, the two governments remain divided over the terms of any nuclear settlement.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would not surrender its right to enrich uranium or agree to send its highly enriched uranium abroad, even if Washington accepted the peace initiative. Trump has repeatedly insisted that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking to CBS’s “Face the Nation”, said his government was prepared to discuss its nuclear programme and other issues but would reject coercion.
“Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks,” he said, adding that Tehran had already agreed it should not develop nuclear weapons.
The war began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Repeated rounds of strikes and temporary pauses have killed thousands, weakened Iran’s conventional military forces and inflicted further damage on its economy.
Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US allies in the Gulf, while its Houthi allies in Yemen have struck Saudi interests, widening the conflict and threatening additional regional trade routes.
