President Donald Trump has reportedly turned down Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while also resuming nuclear negotiations with the U.S.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, which cites U.S. officials, Trump is planning to resume military strikes on Iran following the midterm elections in November.
In contrast, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian indicated Iran is open to reaching a deal with the U.S. before those elections.
“We don’t want it to get to the midterm elections,” Pezeshkian told journalists.
Just two days before, Trump commented, “I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to. They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election.”
Tehran is looking for various concessions from the U.S. in exchange for allowing traffic through the strait. These include lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, providing waivers on sanctions imposed on Iranian oil, and a ceasefire extending to Lebanon, as reported by the Associated Press.
Although Trump has not openly addressed the ceasefire proposal, his posts on Truth Social may hint at his views on Iran’s demands.
On Friday evening, he shared an image that included a map of the Strait of Hormuz, which he referred to as the “TRUMP STRAIT.”
“IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!!!” Trump also tweeted on Saturday morning.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Friday that the choice to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “now rests with the United States.”
“If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days,” Araghchi told reporters.
He argued that the actions Iran is asking of the U.S. were already laid out in a memorandum of understanding from June, which included plans for a temporary ceasefire aimed at more permanent solutions for the conflict. This agreement outlined a 60-day negotiation period to work towards a broader deal concerning Iran’s nuclear program and other unresolved issues, such as sanctions and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
A U.S. official mentioned on Friday that there had been positive discussions through intermediaries, suggesting that there wasn’t an immediate need for an agreement, according to NBC News.
“The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz, so we are not in a rush,” the official reportedly stated. “Over the last 48 hours, nearly 40 million barrels of oil have transited the strait.”
