United States President Donald Trump has rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz and halt fighting in the Middle East within seven days, and told aides he expects to resume bombing after the November midterm polls, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials
This came after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters at the United Nations that Tehran conveyed its peace plan to Washington through Qatari mediators, saying a deal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strategic waterway and a pause in regional fighting.
"If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared," the top Iranian diplomat had said.
Previously, a US official had told news agency Reuters that Washington and Tehran were having "positive and constructive discussions through the mediators."
However, Trump was privately sceptical that Iran would meet his demands, the WSJ report said. It added that the US President told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely.
IRAN AWAITS OFFICIAL US RESPONSE
As of Saturday, September 26, Iran awaited an official response from the US on its peace proposal.
Diplomatic efforts surrounding the UN General Assembly in New York underscored the global stakes of the seven-month-old war, which has severely disrupted oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping lanes.
The conflict has also spilt over to various other parts of the region. If the US were to agree to Iran's plan, the warring parties could start wider talks "on mutually agreed subjects," Araghchi said.
Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and hostilities would end on all fronts, including Lebanon. The plan in turn requires the US to lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release Iran's frozen funds, and waive its oil sanctions.
Iran's seven-day proposal comes after numerous attempts at diplomacy have failed to end the conflict, which began on February 28 with coordinated US and Israeli strikes.
Since then, the war has alternated between pauses and renewed strikes, claiming thousands of lives and degrading Iran's conventional forces and damaging its already ailing economy.
Iran and its proxies in West Asia have retaliated by extending the conflict throughout the region. Iranian military forces have struck US allies in the Gulf with drones and missiles while its Houthi allies in Yemen have targeted Saudi interests.
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq were blamed for a pipeline attack that temporarily took more Saudi oil off the market. All the while, Iranian-aligned Hezbollah has been engaged with Israeli forces in Lebanon.
