Iran on Sunday insisted [1] that diplomacy remains the only path toward ending its conflict with the United States and Israel after President Donald Trump said he had rejected Tehran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt the fighting.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said any reopening of the strategically important waterway would depend on Iran’s conditions being satisfied.
“Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” Araqchi posted on social media.
“Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock.”
Iran announced its latest peace proposal earlier this week during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Tehran said the offer had been transmitted to American officials through Qatari mediators.
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Iran has conveyed a seven-day plan to the United States that could restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary conditions are met, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday. pic.twitter.com/rIWwKrE14H [2]
— ABS-CBN News Channel (@ANCALERTS) September 26, 2026 [3]
Trump said Saturday that he had rejected the proposal, arguing that Iran was seeking an agreement because of the pressure it is facing in the conflict.
“They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Despite Trump’s public remarks, Araqchi said mediators involved in talks between Iran and the United States had not formally communicated an American rejection of the proposal to Tehran.
“We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them,” Araqchi posted.
The United States has imposed an economic blockade on Iran in an effort to pressure Tehran to stop attacks on vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Those attacks have sharply reduced shipping through the waterway, even as Trump has repeatedly maintained that the United States controls the strait.
Trump has privately expressed skepticism that Iran would agree to his demands and has told members of his staff that another bombing campaign could become likely after the November U.S. midterm elections.
However, a U.S. official had previously described discussions with Iran through mediators as “positive and constructive.”
Iran has also communicated with Saudi Arabia regarding the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the regional consequences of a conflict that has continued for seven months.
The fighting has disrupted oil shipments through the major maritime route and affected the global economy.
Araqchi told reporters at the United Nations on Friday that Iran’s proposal would begin a seven-day countdown toward reopening the strait while also creating 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,” Araqchi said.
He added that if the United States accepted the proposal, the parties could begin broader negotiations “on mutually agreed subjects.”
Those discussions could potentially include Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump has repeatedly said Tehran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.
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A senior Iranian official, however, said Iran would not show flexibility regarding its nuclear program even if Washington accepted the proposed peace agreement.
According to that position, Iran would not make concessions involving what it considers its rights, including uranium enrichment or sending its highly enriched uranium out of the country.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also addressed the possibility of negotiations during an interview with the CBS program “Face the Nation.”
Pezeshkian said Tehran was prepared to discuss its nuclear program and other issues but would not accept what he described as coercive treatment.
“Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks,” Pezeshkian said.
He added that Iran had already agreed that “we’re not supposed to develop nuclear weapons.”
Previous attempts at diplomacy have failed to bring the conflict to an end.
The war began on February 28 with attacks by the United States and Israel.
Since then, the conflict has moved between pauses and renewed military strikes, killing thousands of people while weakening Iran’s conventional military forces and further damaging an economy that was already struggling.
Iran and allied forces have responded by expanding the conflict across the region.
Iran has launched drone and missile attacks against U.S. allies in the Gulf, while Houthi forces in Yemen have targeted Saudi interests.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the latest diplomatic effort because of its importance to regional shipping and global oil flows.
Iran’s proposal links reopening the waterway to a broader pause in fighting, while Trump has publicly rejected the terms and questioned whether Tehran can be trusted to meet American demands.
For now, Iran says it is still waiting for mediators to formally communicate Washington’s position before deciding what steps to take next.