Iran on Saturday awaited a US response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East war after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected the deal.
Iran raised the diplomatic initiative at the UN General Assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americans via Qatari mediators and could reopen the strategic waterway and put an end to hostilities in the region within seven days.
But Trump is privately sceptical that Iran would meet his demands and has told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the November US midterm elections, the Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials.
Earlier, a US official had said discussions with Iran through mediators were “positive and constructive”.
The Iranians also engaged their Saudi rivals regarding the strait, underscoring the stakes of a seven-month-old conflict that has disrupted oil flows through one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes and taken a toll on the global economy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters at the United Nations on Friday the proposed deal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and a pause in regional fighting.
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