Iran Says Diplomacy Only Way to Resolve Conflict as Trump Rejects Hormuz Proposal

TEHRAN: Iran has said diplomacy remains the only way to resolve its conflict with the United States and Israel after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt fighting.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s conditions for reopening the strategic waterway were clear and that a negotiated agreement was needed to break the current deadlock.

Iran presented its peace proposal earlier this week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with the plan reportedly delivered to Washington through Qatari mediators. The proposal calls for a seven-day period leading to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a pause in regional fighting.

Trump said on Saturday that he had rejected the proposal, arguing that Iran was seeking an immediate reopening of the key waterway because it was under severe pressure.

However, Araghchi said mediators involved in US-Iran discussions had not yet officially conveyed Washington’s final response to Tehran. He said Iran would decide its next steps after receiving the formal position through the mediators.

The US has imposed an economic blockade on Iran as part of its pressure campaign, while disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have sharply reduced shipping through the major oil transit route.

Araghchi has also indicated that a broader agreement could eventually lead to talks on other issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was prepared to negotiate but would not accept what he described as pressure or coercion.

The conflict, which began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, has continued through periods of renewed strikes and temporary pauses. The fighting has caused thousands of deaths, damaged Iran’s economy and affected security and shipping across the wider region