Trump turns down Iran offer tied to reopening Strait of Hormuz
Iran proposed a truce that it said could restore shipping through the strategic waterway within a week. Trump rejected the offer, which reportedly hinged on relief from sanctions and the US blockade.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday refused a truce proposal from Iran, dismissing Tehran’s offer despite its claim that an agreement could allow ships to resume passage through the Strait of Hormuz within a week. The proposal came as the two countries remained locked in a conflict that has reached a stalemate after nearly seven months.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for the global energy trade, making the disruption of shipping there an international concern. Its reopening has become a central issue in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran, with Iran’s proposal linking a ceasefire arrangement to restoring passage through the waterway.
Trump announced his decision while speaking to reporters outside the White House. He said he rejected the proposal, while also indicating that he was not opposed in principle to reaching an agreement with Iran.
The Iranian conditions included the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad, the removal of sanctions on the country’s oil sector and an end to the US blockade. The terms therefore tied the prospect of restoring shipping not only to a truce, but also to major changes in US economic and military pressure on Iran.
Trump characterized Iran’s offer as an attempt to secure an immediate reopening of the strait because, in his assessment, Tehran was suffering serious losses. He did not provide further details about the proposal or explain whether the United States would put forward alternative conditions.
Although Trump said he favored making a deal, his rejection leaves the proposed path to reopening the waterway uncertain. Iran had presented a timeline of about a week for shipping to resume under its plan, but that prospect depends on an agreement that Washington has not accepted.
The immediate implications for shipping and energy supplies were not specified. With the strait central to the conflict and the broader standoff unresolved, the two sides remain without a publicly accepted arrangement to end the blockade or restore normal passage.
