President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he is rejecting an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing the deal as “not acceptable.” Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House for a college football game in Tennessee, the president offered no further details but suggested the timing was motivated by Iran’s strategic losses.
“I like making a deal too,” Trump said. “But, I’m not — that deal would not be acceptable.” He added that Iran is pushing for the strait to be opened immediately because they are “losing so badly.”
The proposal was presented during the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on Friday that Iran had conveyed a “concrete seven-day plan” to the United States through Qatar. According to Araghchi, if conditions are met, normal maritime passage could be restored within a week, placing the decision in Washington’s hands.
Iran initially closed the vital waterway following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets on February 28. The repeated closures have significantly disrupted global oil supplies.
This latest offer bears resemblance to a memorandum of understanding agreed upon in June, which temporarily halted hostilities and restarted ceasefire talks. Under that previous agreement, Iran received relief from a U.S. naval blockade and sanctions were eased with frozen assets freed up. In exchange, Iran pledged not to pursue nuclear weapons and to reopen the strait.
However, the June deal collapsed due to disputes over ambiguous language, particularly regarding control of the strait. Hostilities resumed shortly thereafter. Araghchi argued that the steps required are already covered under the prior MoU.
In a prerecorded interview with CBS scheduled to air on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran remains committed to its promises. He stated that the U.S. must demonstrate it has no intention of overthrowing the Iranian government.
“If the United States agrees to proceed in that way, everything will return to the way it was before,” Pezeshkian said. He noted that both sides have blocked passages and that these obstacles must be removed before negotiations on other issues can begin. Pezeshkian also indicated that if the U.S. accepts the proposal to reopen the strait and resume nuclear talks, Iran would allow United Nations nuclear inspectors into the country.
NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Emily Feng contributed to this report.
Trump’s dismissal feels more like a political maneuver than a strategic decision. The timing with the college game is suspicious.
Did anyone else notice the June deal collapsed over ambiguous language? Seems like they’re repeating the exact same mistakes.
Oil prices are going to skyrocket if this strait stays closed. I hope they figure this out before winter hits.