US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing US officials. The reported rejection comes as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran continue during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Tehran had presented the United States with a seven-day plan through intermediaries. Under the proposal, fighting across the region would stop, the US would ease measures against Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened on the final day if the agreed conditions were met.
What Iran Proposed
Iran’s plan reportedly calls for a halt to hostilities on all fronts for seven days, the release of at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and relief from sanctions on Iranian oil.
In return, Tehran would reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz on the seventh day and resume negotiations over its nuclear programme. Iran has maintained that the waterway would remain closed until Washington meets its conditions.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major international energy route, making its continued closure a concern for global oil and gas supplies. Previous diplomatic efforts also included Pakistani mediation. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently said Islamabad had brought US and Iranian representatives together during earlier efforts to end the conflict.
Trump Reportedly Rejects the Proposal
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump rejected Tehran’s seven-day proposal and told aides that he expects US bombing of Iran to resume after the November midterm elections. The report was based on US officials, while Reuters said it could not immediately independently verify the report.
The reported decision comes despite recent diplomatic contacts involving US and Iranian representatives. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is willing to pursue an agreement through dialogue, while Araghchi has continued to call for negotiations through intermediaries.
The situation remains fluid, with Washington and Tehran still publicly divided over the conditions for ending the conflict. Any agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz could have wider consequences for regional security and global energy markets.
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