ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump told Rudaw on Saturday that he has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran remain stalled. “I reject their proposal. They made a proposal, but I rejected it,” Trump told Rudaw's Diyar Kurda when asked about the plan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi presented the proposal at the United Nations on Friday. He said Tehran had conveyed a “concrete seven-day plan” to Washington through Qatar that would reopen the Strait for normal maritime passage “If the necessary conditions are met.” "The actions that the United States should take are not new. They are all already in the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding]," Araghchi stated following the meeting. The Iranian proposal follows renewed US-Iran resumed diplomatic contacts in New York this week on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly. Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held meetings on Tuesday through mediation, after which Witkoff described the discussions as potentially “constructive and promising” and said the mediators would continue their work. The talks are the latest attempt to revive the June MoU, which ended active hostilities and set a 60-day period for negotiations toward a broader agreement. The accord also included provisions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Disagreements over the implementation of the agreement have remained, with the Strait remaining a major point of contention between the two sides. Iran has maintained restrictions on shipping, while the United States has continued its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Despite diplomatic contacts, Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian traded sharp rhetoric at the UNGA this week. In his address on Tuesday, Trump speculated that the ongoing conflict might end after the US midterm elections in early November, noting that he is not on the ballot. “I believe we’ll make a deal, right after the election,” Trump said, adding, “will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before... or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly… with no chance of survival and no hope.” Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that Iran was ready for dialogue and negotiations but would not accept “the language of force,” while defending his country’s position on the Strait, stating that they wouldn’t accept Iran being put under a maritime blockade while other countries could freely make use of the waterway. The diplomatic back-and-forth coincides with persistent tensions and insecurity in the Strait. On Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in the waterway, leaving it on fire and adrift. All crew members were evacuated, and authorities are investigating the incident, which reportedly left two casualties.
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