US President Donald Trump has rejected a proposal from Iran aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz within seven days.
Trump confirmed the rejection on Saturday, saying Iran had presented a proposal but that he was not prepared to accept it.
“I reject their proposal,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a major point of tension in the conflict between the United States and Iran because of its importance to global energy shipments. Iran’s proposal was presented as part of wider efforts to halt the fighting and restore normal maritime traffic through the waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had sent Washington a concrete seven-day plan through Qatar. Under the proposal, Iran would reopen the strait on the seventh day if the required conditions were met.
“Iran has conveyed to the United States, through Qatar, a concrete seven-day plan. If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, and normal maritime passage restored within seven days.”
The conditions reportedly include an end to hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon, the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the proposal had been developed in coordination with Iran’s supreme leader, according to Iranian media reports. He also maintained that Tehran had not abandoned negotiations despite its lack of trust in Washington.
“Iran has not walked away from the negotiating table but, given past experiences, it no longer trusts the United States.”
Trump, however, said Iran wanted an agreement that would allow the strait to open immediately because of the pressure it was facing.
“They want to make a deal and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal too.”
Iran has maintained that the choice now lies with Washington and that it will not accept pressure over what it considers its sovereign rights.
“The choice now rests with the United States. Iran does not accept coercion, threats or intimidation, and Iran will not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure,” Araghchi said.
There has also been uncertainty over whether Trump’s public rejection represents the final US position. Iranian officials said on Sunday that mediators had not yet formally delivered a definitive US response to Tehran and that Iran was waiting for clarification.
The dispute has also drawn attention from other countries because of the Strait of Hormuz’s importance to global energy security. Saudi Arabia has called for the vital waterway, as well as the Bab al-Mandab, to remain open and opposed the use of such passages as instruments of pressure.
Russia has also said it is prepared to contribute to efforts aimed at stabilising the region.
The latest proposal follows an earlier understanding between Washington and Tehran that was intended to end the conflict, reopen the strait and restart discussions over Iran’s nuclear programme. That arrangement later collapsed as fighting and tensions around Hormuz continued.
For now, the future of the seven-day proposal remains uncertain, with Tehran maintaining its conditions and Washington having rejected the proposal publicly. (AFP)
Source: AFP.
