US President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal for a truce aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route for global energy supplies, within seven days.
Trump disclosed the decision on Saturday, September 26, as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained unresolved after months of conflict.
“I reject their proposal,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “They made a proposal, but I’ve rejected it.”
He added that Iran was seeking an agreement to reopen the strategic waterway immediately, claiming Tehran was under pressure as a result of the conflict.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, however, said the proposal was prepared in coordination with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei after his return to Tehran from the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the proposal was formally conveyed to Washington through Qatari intermediaries following indirect discussions earlier in the week with US envoy Steve Witkoff.
Under the proposed framework, Iran called for an immediate cessation of hostilities across the Middle East, including fighting in Lebanon.
The plan also reportedly repeated provisions contained in an earlier memorandum of understanding between the two countries. These included the release of about $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian crude oil exports and an end to the US naval blockade.
In return, Iran would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic on the seventh day of the proposed truce.
Pezeshkian said implementation of the agreement would begin immediately if the United States accepted the proposal.
Araghchi said the decision was now in Washington’s hands, while insisting that Tehran would not accept pressure over its sovereign rights.
“The choice now rests with the United States,” Araghchi said. “Iran does not accept coercion, threats, or intimidation, and Iran will not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure.”
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz has also drawn international concern because of the waterway’s importance to global energy transportation.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, speaking during UN proceedings in New York, criticized what he described as international inaction over disruptions affecting major maritime routes.
“The kingdom rejects any party’s use of these vital passages as a tool for pressure, threat, or harm to the interests of states,” bin Farhan said.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was prepared to play a constructive role in efforts to stabilize the region.
Pezeshkian also met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, where he maintained that Tehran remained open to diplomacy but had lost trust in Washington following previous breakdowns in negotiations.
Following Trump’s rejection of the proposal, reports indicated that the US president remained doubtful about Iran meeting Washington’s demands and expected military operations to resume.
Trump also shared an image on his Truth Social platform showing a map of the Strait of Hormuz labelled “Trump Strait.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson, Hossein Mohebi, meanwhile, said Tehran would maintain its military pressure until what he described as all seven of Iran’s conditions were met.
