Trump rejects Iran's 7-day Hormuz deal, privately expects bombing to resume after midterms

Iran put a precise, seven-day plan on the table to end its war with the United States — and President Donald Trump has already rejected it. US officials cited by The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post say that even as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi laid out the roadmap to reporters outside the UN Security Council on Friday, Trump was telling aides in private that he anticipates a fresh bombing campaign will get under way after November's midterm elections.

The proposal, conveyed to Washington through Qatari mediators, lays out a day-by-day sequence: initial steps over four to five days, the Strait of Hormuz reopening on day six, and formal nuclear talks beginning on day seven. For its part, the United States would be required to end its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales, free an estimated $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and honor a ceasefire across the region, Lebanon and Yemen included.

The seven-day timeline will start as soon as the United States accepts this plan.— Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister

The choice now rests with the United States. Iran does not accept coercion, threats or intimidation, and Iran will not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure. I can tell you if there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared.— Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister

The Trump administration's response was swift and private. Officials told The Washington Post that the president has no intention of lifting the maritime blockade, believing continued economic pressure could eventually force Tehran into an agreement on terms favorable to the United States and Gulf Arab states. The White House said publicly only that US officials were having 'positive and constructive conversations with mediators' and that the US was facilitating oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz sits at the center of the standoff. Roughly one-fifth of all oil and gas traded globally moved through the waterway before the war began, giving Iran its chief point of leverage through its power to disrupt that flow. Disruptions have rattled energy markets and created political pressure on Trump and Republicans heading into the midterms — though a US official told The Washington Post that an American-led effort to keep oil tankers moving through the strait has reduced the urgency for a deal.

The new Iranian offer bears a strong resemblance to a memorandum of understanding that Tehran and Washington signed on June 17, reached through Qatari and Pakistani mediation, which established a 60-day window for talks. That arrangement collapsed within weeks after disputes over vague terms governing shipping control through Hormuz, Iran resumed attacks on vessels it accused of ignoring its authorisation rules, and Trump declared the deal 'over' in July. The key difference in the new framework is the timeline: seven days instead of sixty.

The actions that the United States should take are not new. They are all already in the MOU.— Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister

Araghchi met with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Witkoff described the meeting as 'lengthy' and said he hoped the talks would 'prove constructive and promising,' according to Al Jazeera. Hosting Qatar's prime minister as diplomatic activity picked up, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Fox News this week that the decision to end the war rested with Washington: 'It's America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not.'

At the UN General Assembly, Trump told world leaders that domestic politics would not shape his approach to Iran, saying he would give 'absolutely no credence' to the election calendar when it came to decisions on Iran. Yet according to The Washington Post, he has privately told aides that renewed bombing is likely after the midterms, and he has told Republicans to campaign as though he himself is on the ballot. US officials cautioned that Trump's position could shift as the war continues and the elections approach.

The Republican Party is running, and I'll be helping them, but I am not running. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence through the election when it comes to Iran. The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.— Donald Trump, US President

One factor tempering any rush back to strikes: munitions. According to The Washington Post, concern over shrinking stockpiles that the United States wants held in reserve for other contingencies is among the reasons Trump is hesitant to return to large-scale military operations.

Saudi Arabia was sceptical of the latest diplomatic push, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Geneva Graduate Institute scholar Cyrus Schayegh told Al Jazeera that 'basically nothing has really changed,' contending that Iran seeks to hold on to the leverage it accumulated during the war while Washington pushes back against a return to the June framework. Araghchi said Friday it 'would be better' to reach a deal before the midterms, though analysts and officials on both sides consider a breakthrough before November unlikely.

Why it matters — If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed or contested, energy prices and global shipping face continued disruption — and the gap between Iran's offer and Washington's rejection suggests the war, now in its seventh month, is unlikely to end before the US midterms.

Sources differ on Whether the US and Iran are still actively negotiating: A US official said Washington and Tehran were still negotiating through mediators, including on the nuclear issue. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) vs Analyst Cyrus Schayegh said 'basically nothing has really changed,' suggesting talks are deadlocked. (aljazeera.com)

Reported by aljazeera.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com, gulfnews.com