Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran. The meeting was part of new mediation efforts to resolve the stalemate, which has lasted nearly seven months. Araghchi previously set out seven conditions for ending the war and reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is crucial to the world's oil supply and central to the conflict between the US and Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the UN General Assembly in New York, where he met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. According to the presidency, Pezeshkian said Iran has not walked away from the negotiating table but no longer trusts the US due to past experiences. He emphasized that Iran will not accept coercion, threats, or intimidation and will not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure. Pezeshkian was returning to Tehran after the assembly.
Araghchi revealed that Iran conveyed a concrete seven-day plan to the US through Qatar. If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, and normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The plan calls for a cessation of all hostilities in the Middle East for seven days, including in Lebanon. Iran's conditions include the release of frozen Iranian assets estimated to be worth at least $12 billion, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil, and an end to the US naval blockade of Iran.
Within hours of Araghchi's comments, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had rejected the proposal, citing US officials familiar with the matter. The report noted that Trump was sceptical that Tehran would meet his demands and added he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely. Trump also posted an image to his Truth Social platform of a map showing the Strait of Hormuz circled and labelled "Trump Strait".
Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards, stated that Iran will not cease punishing the US until Iran's seven conditions are met. Mohebi told AFP in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that ending hostilities in Yemen was also among Tehran's demands. Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in June that aimed to end the war, reopen the strait, and launch talks on Iran's nuclear programme, but the deal broke down shortly.
Pezeshkian said in an interview with broadcaster CBS that the process will begin from the day the US accepts the plan. He added that Iran had previously reached an agreement based on the memorandum of understanding signed in Pakistan, and if the US agrees to proceed, everything will return to the way it was before. Iran requires ships to obtain authorisation before passage, citing security and sovereignty reasons.
The conflict between the US and Iran continues, with Iran's plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz pending. Key points include:
Key points
- Iran proposes a 7-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- Trump reportedly rejects the proposal.
- Iran sets out seven conditions for ending the war and reopening the strait.
