Iran waits for US reply after Trump rejects Hormuz peace deal
Photo: REUTERS
Iran awaited an official US response on Saturday regarding its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end regional hostilities in the Middle East war after a Wall Street Journal report said US President Donald Trump rejected the deal.
Iran introduced the diplomatic initiative at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, transmitting the plan to the Americans through Qatari mediators to reopen the strategic waterway and halt regional fighting within seven days.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi engaged Saudi Arabian officials concerning the strait, highlighting the immense stakes of the seven-month-old conflict that has disrupted global oil flows and damaged the world economy.
Speaking to reporters at the United Nations on Friday, Araghchi explained that the proposal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopen the shipping lane and pause regional combat. He added, “If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared.”
Araghchi noted that if the US agrees, the warring parties could launch broader discussions “on mutually agreed subjects”. These talks could potentially include Iran’s nuclear program.
Although Trump vowed that Tehran will never acquire a nuclear weapon, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran will show no flexibility over its nuclear program even if the US accepts its peace agreement.
The official confirmed that Iran will grant no concessions regarding its rights, including enriching uranium or shipping its highly enriched uranium abroad.
Even so, Iran put forward a plan that halts hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon. According to Araghchi, the plan requires the US to lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release frozen Iranian funds, and waive oil sanctions.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, previously described mediated discussions as “positive and constructive”. However, Trump privately expressed skepticism that Iran would satisfy his demands, telling staff that he considers a renewed bombing campaign likely, according to the Journal.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the Wall Street Journal report.
Previous diplomatic attempts failed to end the war, which began on 28 February with US and Israeli attacks. Since then, the conflict has alternated between pauses and renewed bombardments, killing thousands while degrading Iran’s conventional forces and damaging its struggling economy.
Iran and its allies retaliated by expanding the conflict throughout the region. Iran, which controls the waterway alongside Oman, struck US allies in the Persian Gulf with drones and missiles, while its Houthi allies in Yemen targeted Saudi interests.
Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq executed a pipeline attack that temporarily removed additional Saudi oil from the market, while Hezbollah continuously engaged Israeli forces in Lebanon.
Early Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Araghchi briefed his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, regarding an understanding between Iran and Oman on safe shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
The widening toll of the war has also united Saudi Arabia’s allies to reinforce the kingdom’s defenses. Iran-linked Houthi fighters launched assaults against the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government, striking missiles inside the kingdom.
Saudi-led coalition in Yemen reported that it intercepted two Houthi drones launched toward the Saudi capital of Riyadh, alongside a ballistic missile fired toward Khamis Mushait.
The Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous areas and much of the north, have executed strikes against Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
These attacks targeted Saudi cities, energy infrastructure, and maritime shipping, increasing pressure on global oil supplies caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran and threatening the main alternative Red Sea route for Gulf exports while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked.
Defense officials from Turkey and Pakistan, who maintain a joint defense pact with Saudi Arabia, met in Riyadh on Friday to review the security situation and discuss intelligence cooperation, military coordination, and force integration, the Saudi Defense Ministry announced in a statement.
The statement arrived one day after foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey met under the framework of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. Meanwhile, the United Nations children’s agency reported on Friday that ongoing violence in Yemen has sparked a new humanitarian crisis, citing a sharp rise in acute malnutrition among children.
Source: Reuters (adapted)
