US President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected a proposal by Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz within seven days as part of a plan to end hostilities in the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Tehran had conveyed the proposal to Washington through Qatar during mediation efforts on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Under the proposal, Iran would restore normal maritime traffic through the vital oil shipping route within seven days, provided certain conditions were met.
“Iran has conveyed to the United States, through Qatar, a concrete seven-day plan. If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, and normal maritime passage restored within seven days,” Araghchi said.
However, The Wall Street Journal reported hours later that Trump had rejected the proposal, citing US officials familiar with the discussions.
The report said Trump remained sceptical that Tehran would meet Washington’s demands and believed renewed military action remained a possible option.
Trump also appeared to signal his position on the issue by posting a map on his Truth Social platform showing the Strait of Hormuz circled and labelled “Trump Strait.”
Reports said Iran’s proposal included a seven-day ceasefire covering the Middle East, including Lebanon, the release of an estimated $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil exports and an end to the US naval blockade of Iran.
Under the plan, Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the seventh day of the proposed truce.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government was prepared to begin implementing the ceasefire process if Washington accepted the terms.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important oil transit routes and has remained at the centre of tensions between the United States and Iran since hostilities escalated nearly seven months ago.
The two countries had signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at reopening the waterway and beginning negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the agreement collapsed following renewed clashes in the Gulf.
The latest diplomatic efforts come amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran and international concerns over the impact of disruptions to shipping through the strategic waterway.
