US President Donald Trump has signalled that the United States could resume full-scale airstrikes on Iran after the country’s November midterm elections, while Washington has rejected a seven-day proposal from Tehran aimed at securing a ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The Wall Street Journal, citing senior US administration officials, reported that Iran had sent the proposal through Qatari mediators. Tehran offered to restore normal shipping through the strategic waterway within seven days if Washington lifted its naval blockade, eased sanctions on Iranian oil and agreed to ceasefires across the region, including in Lebanon.
Trump, however, has expressed serious doubts about Iran’s willingness to fulfil its nuclear commitments and the conditions attached to the proposal, according to the report.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday during the UN General Assembly, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could resume within seven days if Washington was prepared to meet Tehran’s conditions.
Araghchi also said Iran would not bow to threats or the use of force and would not compromise its sovereignty.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments, remains effectively paralysed amid the conflict. Trump recently posted a map of the waterway on his Truth Social account, highlighting the area and referring to it as the “Trump Strait.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told CBS that the process of reopening the waterway could begin on the day an agreement is reached, provided the United States accepts Tehran’s conditions.
The two countries had reached a 14-point understanding on June 17 aimed at ending the wider Middle East conflict, but the arrangement collapsed about two months later.
A White House spokesperson said diplomatic discussions with Tehran were still continuing through intermediaries, despite the absence of a final agreement.
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