Iran Awaits US Response After Trump Rejects Strait of Hormuz Proposal

Iran has stated it will await an official response from United States negotiators after President Donald Trump rejected a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping within seven days. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged Trump's rejection via a Telegram post, while also noting what he described as contradictory statements from the U.S. president.

Earlier, Trump told reporters at the White House that Tehran's proposal was "not acceptable" and suggested Iran sought to open the strait because "they're losing so badly."

Araghchi had previously indicated on Friday at the United Nations that an agreement could be reached if "necessary conditions are met" between the two countries. He specified that these conditions were consistent with a memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. and Iran in June. Iran stated it had raised the issue of reopening the strait and ending hostilities during negotiations held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which approximately one-fifth of the world's gas and oil supply typically flows, has been effectively closed since the conflict began in February.

Trump reiterated his rejection on Saturday, asserting that the U.S. already exercised "had total control" of the strait, with "massive amounts of oil" passing through it.

Araghchi wrote on Telegram that Trump "has made many good statements, as well as many contradictory ones, which unfortunately we hear frequently." He added, "We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them."

Oman, serving as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran, urged all parties to maintain open dialogue to resolve the crisis. Oman's foreign minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, addressed the UN General Debate, calling for "all parties" to cooperate with Oman in efforts to safeguard navigation in the strategic waterway.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, supported Trump's decision, telling Fox News that Iran had offered "half measures" and "illusory deals to make themselves look good on the world stage." He stated, "President Trump's right to reject it."

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented on Saturday that economic pressure from the U.S. was impacting Tehran. Bessent noted on X that Turkey, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates had halted flights from various Iranian airlines, and some banks in the UAE and Turkey had ceased transactions with Iran. The Trump administration has referred to this economic blockade on Iran as "Operation Economic Outcast," employing sanctions to pressure Tehran into halting attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, some economists have raised questions about the effectiveness of the latest sanctions, suggesting their impact depends on the reaction of Iran's major trading partners, including China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil, which has previously disregarded U.S. sanctions and continued business with Tehran.