PEACE PLAN IN LIMBO AS IRAN AWAITS OFFICIAL US RESPONSE AFTER REPORT TRUMP REJECTED DEAL

Iran is awaiting an official response from the United States to its latest proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting fighting across the wider Middle East, despite a report that President Donald Trump has rejected the initiative.

The development has injected fresh uncertainty into diplomatic efforts that only days ago appeared to be gaining momentum around a possible phased route out of the conflict.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Trump had rejected the Iranian proposal, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the report.

Tehran, meanwhile, says it has not received an official rejection from Washington and is continuing to wait for a formal U.S. response.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the proposal had been transmitted to the United States through Qatari mediators.

Under the Iranian initiative, an agreement would trigger a seven-day countdown toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz and pausing fighting across the region.

“If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared,” Araqchi told reporters at the United Nations on Friday.

If Washington accepts the proposal, Araqchi said the parties could subsequently begin broader negotiations on mutually agreed issues.

The latest development comes after days of diplomatic activity surrounding the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have been exploring a phased arrangement aimed at breaking the deadlock over the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

Sources familiar with those discussions previously told Reuters that the emerging framework could involve Iran reopening the strategically important waterway while Washington gradually eases its economic blockade.

The central difficulty has been sequencing.

Neither side wants to surrender its principal leverage before receiving guarantees that the other will fulfil its commitments.

Iran views the Strait of Hormuz as a major bargaining tool, while the United States has used economic and military pressure against Tehran.

The Iranian government had previously indicated that the waterway could be reopened within seven days if Washington reduced military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.

Tehran said its proposal had initially been delivered to Washington through mediators on September 16.

The latest initiative appears designed to translate those discussions into a timetable capable of producing an immediate reduction in hostilities.

But the reported rejection by Trump has raised fresh questions over whether that diplomatic opening can survive.

According to the Wall Street Journal report cited by Reuters, Trump rejected the Iranian proposal and told aides he expected U.S. bombing operations to resume after the November congressional elections.

That claim has not been officially confirmed by the White House, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the report.

The distinction is important.

Iran is publicly treating the proposal as unresolved until Washington communicates its position through official or diplomatic channels.

That leaves a potentially significant gap between reports about Trump's position inside the U.S. administration and what has formally been communicated to Tehran.

The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the most consequential bargaining points in the conflict.

The narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world's most important routes for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Months of disruption have affected global energy markets and increased pressure on governments dependent on Gulf energy exports.

Iran has also engaged Saudi Arabia over the future of the strait, reflecting the broader regional consequences of continued disruption.

Any sustained reopening could therefore have implications extending far beyond Iran and the United States.

Oil markets have repeatedly reacted to signs of diplomatic progress or renewed escalation surrounding Hormuz.

The latest uncertainty could once again place attention on energy prices as traders assess whether negotiations are moving toward an agreement or another period of military escalation.

Iran's position remains that diplomacy is still possible.

Washington's official position on the latest proposal, however, remains unclear.

Until that response arrives, the diplomatic process is effectively caught between two competing signals: Tehran's declaration that an agreement remains possible and reports from Washington suggesting Trump has already decided against the current terms.

Whether the United States formally rejects the proposal, seeks changes or returns to negotiations could determine whether the current diplomatic opening develops into a broader ceasefire effort or gives way to another escalation in the months-long conflict.