President Trump said Saturday he had rejected Iran's latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, dashing hopes for a quick end to hostilities that have shut one of the world's busiest oil corridors for nearly seven months.
"They want to make a deal, and I think that's fine. I'd like to make a deal, too," Trump told reporters, before adding that the Iranian plan "would not be acceptable." He argued Tehran was eager to reopen the waterway "because they are losing so badly," a characterization Iranian officials rejected.
The rejected offer was unveiled Friday at the United Nations General Assembly by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who described a seven-day roadmap under which Washington would release frozen Iranian funds, lift oil sanctions and end its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Araghchi said those steps could be completed within four to five days, with formal negotiations beginning by day seven, according to Al Jazeera's account of his remarks.
A blockade that has cut off a fifth of the world's oil traffic
The strait, which normally carries roughly a fifth of global oil shipments and typically sees more than 30,000 tanker transits a year according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has been closed to most traffic since the US-Israeli campaign against Iran began on February 28. Trump has told aides he expects to resume bombing Iranian targets after November's midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal has reported, suggesting no imminent resolution.
Araghchi rejected Trump's framing of the proposal, writing on Telegram that Iran "will not back down" on its conditions and is "waiting for the definitive opinions to be conveyed to us by the mediators," a reference to ongoing shuttle diplomacy by Qatar and Pakistan. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was more blunt in an interview with Al Jazeera: "We have no trust in the American side and do not know on what basis an understanding can be reached."
Congress edges closer to a break with Trump
The rejection came two days after the Senate narrowly voted down, 49-50, a war powers resolution that would have directed Trump to withdraw US forces from hostilities against Iran absent a formal declaration of war, according to CBS News's account of the vote. Four Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — crossed over to back the measure, while Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman voted no. Tillis said the vote followed the 60-day mark since the administration notified Congress that "military action" against Iran had resumed, triggering War Powers Resolution requirements.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune attributed some of the unease to pocketbook concerns rather than war-weariness, telling reporters it reflected "an economic frustration" over gas and diesel prices tied to the disrupted shipping lanes.
Saudi Arabia has also pressed for a resolution, with its foreign minister warning the United Nations that blocking Middle East waterways threatens global energy security and calling for stronger international enforcement of freedom-of-navigation principles.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has separately signaled some flexibility on the nuclear question at the center of the standoff, telling CBS's "Face the Nation" that Tehran would allow United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country as part of a potential long-term ceasefire, even as he voiced distrust of Washington. Trump, for his part, has kept his own red line unchanged, declaring in a social media post that "IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON," a stance that has anchored the US position since the fighting began.
Qatar and Pakistan are continuing to mediate, but with Trump publicly rejecting Tehran's latest terms and both sides trading blame, diplomats say a breakthrough before the US midterms in November looks unlikely. For now, the strait remains largely closed, insurers continue to price war risk into Gulf shipping, and the war-powers debate in Washington appears set to resurface as the conflict grinds toward its eighth month.
