Trump reportedly rejects Iran's seven-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iran has said it submitted a detailed seven-day plan to the United States aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments. The proposal was relayed through Qatar as an intermediary and stipulates that the strait would reopen seven days after an agreement is reached. According to multiple media reports citing the Wall Street Journal, US President Donald Trump has rejected the proposal. The development carries significant weight given the strait's central role in global energy markets, meaning any prolonged blockage could have wide-reaching economic consequences.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the plan during talks with Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. According to Araghchi, the proposal is concrete and detailed, covering not only the reopening of the strait but also the resumption of nuclear negotiations — contingent on the United States meeting agreed conditions. Among these conditions is reportedly the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports, which observers say has caused substantial economic damage to Iran. Tehran stated it would be ready to enter direct talks with US officials on a final agreement on the seventh day following a basic accord.

The conflict between the United States and Iran has now lasted roughly seven months and is currently at a stalemate without major military escalation. Against this backdrop, the diplomatic initiative surrounding the UN General Assembly was met with some degree of international optimism regarding de-escalation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss diplomatic options and the situation at the Strait of Hormuz. Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations' commitment to supporting all diplomatic efforts.

Several outlets report consistently that Trump rejected the Iranian proposal. However, accounts differ regarding what further intentions the US president may have expressed privately. According to a Wall Street Journal report picked up by multiple news agencies, Trump reportedly told aides he expects to resume bombing Iran after the November midterm elections. At the same time, the same reports note that Trump is currently reluctant to resume major combat operations and that his position could shift depending on the outcome of the midterms. This information regarding future US actions remains unconfirmed in full and is based on statements from unnamed US officials.

Iranian officials have repeatedly addressed the proposal in recent days. President Pezeshkian discussed the seven-day plan at length in an interview with CBS News, placing it within the broader context of US-Iran relations. In the same interview, he also touched on domestic political matters in Iran. Araghchi told reporters that Iran is now awaiting an official response from Washington, emphasizing that the plan would only take effect once the US accepts it.

Several questions remain open, including what specific concessions the US administration is demanding from Iran and whether a formal, publicly communicated response from Washington will follow. It also remains unclear how reliable the reports are regarding a potential resumption of US airstrikes after the midterm elections. Observers, including analysts at Al-Monitor, view the current episode as a potential test of whether military leverage can be converted into a viable negotiating process without either side being forced into excessive concessions.

International coverage of the events shows differing emphases. Some outlets highlight the diplomatic process, Qatar's mediating role, and UN mediation efforts under Guterres, while others focus more heavily on Trump's rejection of the plan and potential future US military action. These differences in emphasis do not, however, change the core facts confirmed across multiple sources: Iran transmitted a seven-day plan through Qatar, Araghchi and Witkoff met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and Trump has, according to the available reports, rejected the proposal.

In the coming days and weeks, attention is likely to focus on whether Washington issues an official response to the Iranian proposal and whether the US administration's stance on potential military action following the midterm elections shifts in either direction. The continuing roles of the United Nations and Qatar as mediators are also likely to remain significant factors in how the diplomatic effort unfolds.