Iran says it is still waiting for a formal response from US negotiators after President Donald Trump publicly rejected Tehran’s proposal to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and halt fighting in the region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that mediators had yet to deliver what Tehran considers a definitive US position on the proposal.
His comments came a day after Trump told reporters at the White House that he had rejected Iran’s offer.
Iran Says Diplomacy Remains Open
Iran presented the proposal during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to Reuters, Tehran said the plan could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within seven days and an end to hostilities, provided certain conditions were met. The proposal was transmitted to Washington through Qatari mediators.
Araghchi said Iran’s conditions for reopening the waterway remain unchanged.
He said Tehran was waiting for mediators to communicate the US position formally before making further decisions.
Iran has maintained that only a negotiated settlement can resolve the current deadlock.
Trump Rejects Iranian Proposal
Trump said Saturday that Iran’s proposal was not acceptable.
He argued that Tehran was seeking an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz because of the economic pressure caused by the conflict.
Trump also said the United States had control of the strategic waterway and maintained that Iran wanted the strait reopened immediately.
His rejection followed reports that Iran had proposed reopening the route while also seeking an end to hostilities and changes to US pressure on Iran.
What Iran Wants
Reuters reported that Iran’s proposal includes conditions such as an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, the release of frozen Iranian assets and a waiver of sanctions affecting Iranian oil exports.
Tehran has also linked the reopening of the strait to a halt in hostilities across the region.
Iranian officials have said the country would not make concessions on what it considers its nuclear rights.
Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
Before the current conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passed through the waterway.
The reduction in shipping through the strait has already placed additional pressure on global energy markets. Reuters reported earlier this week that oil prices and refined-product markets have been affected by concerns over supply disruptions.
Negotiations Remain Uncertain
The latest exchange leaves the diplomatic process uncertain.
While Trump has publicly rejected the proposal, Araghchi says Tehran has not yet received a formal response through the mediators handling the negotiations.
The two sides therefore remain publicly divided over the conditions required to reopen the waterway and end the fighting.
France has also been pursuing diplomatic options at the United Nations, including discussions about an international mechanism aimed at safeguarding commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
BBC
