UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26 – Iran was waiting Saturday for a formal response from Washington after The Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected a proposal from Tehran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting fighting across the wider Middle East.
The proposal, presented by Iranian officials during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, calls for the strategically important waterway to be reopened within seven days if the United States agrees to a series of conditions. Tehran says the arrangement could also create a path toward broader negotiations to end the conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the proposal had been conveyed to the United States through Qatari intermediaries. He described the diplomatic channel as active and said Tehran was prepared to move quickly if Washington demonstrated that it was serious about reaching an agreement.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed U.S. officials, reported that Trump remained doubtful that Iran would meet his demands and had told members of his administration that another U.S. bombing campaign could become likely after the November midterm elections. The report added to uncertainty over whether the diplomatic contacts that have taken place through intermediaries can produce a new ceasefire.
The reported rejection also contrasts with an earlier assessment from a U.S. official who said discussions with Iran through mediators had been “positive and constructive.” That official, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that Washington believed it held considerable leverage because of its control over the Strait of Hormuz and therefore was not under immediate pressure to accept Tehran’s terms.
For Iran, the reopening of Hormuz is at the center of the current diplomatic effort. The waterway between Iran and Oman is one of the world’s most important routes for oil and gas shipments, and prolonged disruption has put additional pressure on global energy markets and countries that depend on Gulf supplies.
Araqchi said the proposed arrangement would begin a seven-day countdown once Washington accepted the terms. At the end of that period, Iran would reopen the strait and fighting across the region would be paused, creating an opportunity for wider negotiations.
Iran links Hormuz reopening to wider negotiations
Araqchi has said Tehran’s proposal is not limited to maritime traffic. Under the Iranian plan, the United States would also lift its blockade of Iranian ports, release frozen Iranian funds and waive oil-related sanctions. The proposal would cover a halt in hostilities on multiple fronts, including fighting involving Lebanon, according to the Iranian foreign minister.
The nuclear issue would be among the most difficult subjects in any subsequent negotiations. Trump has repeatedly said Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, while Tehran has maintained that it has rights under international agreements and has rejected demands that it surrender its nuclear capabilities as a condition for ending the conflict.
A senior Iranian official told reporters Friday that Tehran would not offer concessions on its nuclear program even if Washington accepted the proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz. The official said Iran would not agree to restrictions involving uranium enrichment or the removal of its highly enriched uranium from the country.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has nevertheless said his government is prepared to discuss the nuclear issue and other matters with Washington. In an interview with CBS, he said Iran was not seeking war but would defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks. Pezeshkian also pointed to Tehran’s position that it has agreed not to develop nuclear weapons.
The latest diplomatic effort comes after months of fighting that have repeatedly shifted between military escalation and temporary pauses. The conflict has spread well beyond Iran and Israel, involving U.S. forces, Gulf states, Lebanon and Yemen, while attacks on shipping have complicated an already fragile regional security situation.
Tehran has sought to use the United Nations gathering as an opportunity to revive diplomacy. The presence of senior Iranian and U.S. officials in New York has allowed messages to pass through intermediaries, with Qatar playing a role in communications between the two sides.
The proposal also reflects the importance of the Strait of Hormuz to Iran’s own economy. Although Tehran has used control of the waterway as leverage during the conflict, keeping the route disrupted has also contributed to pressure on energy markets and Iran’s ability to move its own oil.
Saudi Arabia faces continued Houthi attacks
The diplomatic discussions are taking place as the conflict continues to affect Iran’s regional rivals, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Araqchi briefed Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on an understanding between Iran and Oman concerning safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s foreign ministry. The communication between Tehran and Riyadh highlights how any agreement over the waterway could affect countries far beyond the United States and Iran.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia continues to face attacks from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement. Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition said Saturday that it had intercepted two drones launched toward Riyadh. Saudi authorities had also issued alerts in other parts of the kingdom amid continuing missile and drone threats.
The Houthis, who control large parts of northern Yemen and the country’s most heavily populated areas, have intensified attacks against Saudi interests after declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July. Their attacks have included strikes involving Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea.
The fighting has added another layer of risk to regional energy supplies. With traffic through the Strait of Hormuz severely disrupted, the Red Sea provides an important alternative route for Gulf exports. Continued Houthi attacks threaten that route as well, leaving oil producers and international shipping companies facing security risks on two major maritime corridors.
Saudi Arabia’s regional partners have also stepped up security cooperation as the conflict has widened. Defence officials from Turkey and Pakistan met in Riyadh on Friday to discuss the security situation, intelligence sharing, military coordination and the possible integration of forces, according to Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry.
The meeting followed discussions among the Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish foreign ministers under the framework of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. The developments underline the growing importance of regional defence arrangements as Saudi Arabia faces pressure from several directions.
The conflict is also worsening the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The United Nations children’s agency said Friday that acute malnutrition among children was rising as fighting intensified, adding another consequence to a war that has already produced one of the world’s most serious humanitarian emergencies.
For now, however, attention remains focused on Washington’s next move. Iran has publicly outlined conditions under which it says the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within seven days, while the Wall Street Journal report suggests Trump has not accepted the proposal and remains unconvinced that Tehran will meet U.S. demands.
That leaves the diplomatic channel in an uncertain position. If the two sides cannot bridge their differences over the conditions for reopening the waterway and the future of Iran’s nuclear program, the region could remain caught between negotiations and renewed military escalation.