Trump rejects Iranian proposal on Hormuz and regional fighting, report says

US President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal that would have linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to a pause in fighting in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials. The report said Trump told aides he expected the United States to resume bombing after the November midterm elections. The source material does not provide further details about the reported military action or the reasons for the president’s decision.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at the United Nations that Tehran had conveyed its proposal to Washington through Qatari mediators. Under the plan, an agreement would begin a seven-day countdown to reopening the strategic waterway and would also halt regional fighting. “If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared,” Araghchi told reporters, according to the report.

The Strait of Hormuz is central to Iran’s proposal, but the supplied material does not specify the precise terms under which the waterway would reopen or how a pause in fighting would be monitored. It also does not identify the US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal. The reported rejection comes as the two sides remain publicly divided over the conditions for ending the conflict.

Iran has presented its proposal as a possible route towards a deal, while the account attributed to US officials indicates that Trump does not accept the offer. The report said the United States could resume bombing after the midterm polls. It did not give a date for any renewed operation or say whether further diplomatic contacts were planned.

The account was described in the source material as a developing story that could be updated.