Overview
Iran on Sunday reiterated that diplomacy remains the only viable means to resolve its conflict with the United States and Israel, after President Donald Trump publicly said he rejected Tehran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt fighting. Iranian officials said the plan was delivered to the United States via Qatari mediators following its announcement at the UN General Assembly earlier this week.
Tehran’s stance and conditions
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on social media that Tehran’s terms were explicit and that any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would be conditional on those terms being satisfied. "Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock," Araqchi wrote, underscoring Iran’s position that a formal agreement and implementation steps are required before the strait can be reopened.
Araqchi also said mediators facilitating contact between Tehran and Washington had not formally conveyed a US rejection of the proposal. "We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them," he posted, indicating that Iran sees the mediators’ formal communication as decisive in determining next steps.
Washington’s public reaction
At the White House on Saturday, President Trump said he rejected the Iranian plan and characterized the proposal as driven by desperation. "They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly," he told reporters. Trump has repeatedly stressed that the United States controls the waterway while the administration maintains an economic blockade on Iran as a means to pressure Tehran to stop attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the president’s public rejection, the report that Trump turned down the proposal first appeared in a separate media account citing unnamed US officials. That account suggested Trump privately doubted Iran would meet Washington’s demands and had told staff he viewed a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the November US midterm elections. At the same time, a US official had earlier described discussions with Iran through mediators as "positive and constructive," reflecting differing tones in public and private commentary.
Deal mechanics and wider talks
At the United Nations, Araqchi described the mechanics of Tehran’s proposal. He said the proposed deal would put in motion a seven-day countdown to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and would entail a pause in regional fighting. Araqchi said that if the United States demonstrated seriousness about agreeing to terms to reopen the strait, "everything is now prepared." He added that, if an initial agreement were achieved, the parties could begin broader negotiations on mutually agreed subjects, which could potentially include Iran’s nuclear program.
Nuclear posture and Iranian responses
President Trump has said that Tehran must never obtain a nuclear bomb. In response, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran would show no flexibility over its nuclear program even if the United States accepted the peace proposal. The official said Iran would not give up rights it regards as its own, citing activities such as enriching uranium and shipping highly enriched uranium out of the country as non-negotiable.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an interview on the CBS program "Face the Nation," said Tehran was open to talks on its nuclear program and other issues but would not accept what he described as "bullying or coercion." He said "Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks," and added that Tehran had already agreed that "we’re not supposed to develop nuclear weapons."
Conflict background and regional impact
The conflict, which Iranian authorities say began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks, has persisted with intermittent pauses and renewed strikes. Those exchanges have killed thousands, degraded Iran’s conventional forces, and worsened an already ailing Iranian economy. Iran and its regional allies have expanded the conflict across the region as part of a cycle of retaliation.
Iran has carried out strikes on US allies in the Gulf using drones and missiles, while its Houthi allies in Yemen have targeted Saudi interests. The sustained violence has disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route, and taken a toll on the global economy by constricting shipping through the area.
Current status and next steps
At this stage, Tehran says it remains committed to a diplomatic route but is holding its position until mediators formally relay Washington’s definitive response. The United States has signaled a firm public stance against the proposal, while some US commentary indicates that private views within the administration and the tenor of mediated discussions may differ. With both sides maintaining firm public positions, the future of the proposal and its potential to reduce tensions around the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain.
Reporting on this situation reflects statements made by Iranian officials, remarks from the US president, media reporting cited by unnamed US officials, and comments from a senior Iranian official and the Iranian president as described above.