Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says only a negotiated solution can end the conflict between Iran and the US after President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told reporters at the White House that Iran’s proposal was not “acceptable”, saying Tehran wanted to reach a deal to reopen the strategic waterway to commercial shipping within seven days because “they’re losing so badly”.
In a post on Telegram, Araghchi acknowledged Trump’s rejection but said Iran would wait for a “definitive” official response from Washington.
He said the US president had made contradictory statements in the past.
Araghchi said the conditions for reopening the strait were the same as those included in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the US and Iran in June.
Iran said it raised the reopening of the strait and an end to hostilities during negotiations held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last week.
The vital waterway, through which around a fifth of the world’s gas and oil supply normally passes, has been effectively closed since the war broke out in February.
“I’m rejecting their deal,” Trump said on Saturday, adding that the US already had “total control” of the strait, with “massive amounts of oil” passing through it.
He said the situation had caused major increases in global oil prices and steep rises in fuel costs for consumers.
Araghchi wrote on Telegram that Trump “has made many good statements, as well as many contradictory ones, which unfortunately we hear frequently”.
He continued: “We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them.”
Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who travelled to New York for the UN General Assembly, told the BBC’s US news partner CBS that “distrust created by this war needs to be overcome” for talks to succeed.
He said Iran was open to talks on implementing the MOU in stages to end the impasse, but that the “US needs to show it does not intend to overthrow our government”.
Pezeshkian said Trump had “tore up” the MOU when the US resumed its bombing campaign.
He added: “If we don’t abide by what we have written down, can we really resolve it by dialogue?”
Pezeshkian was also asked about Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in the US strike that killed his father in February and has not appeared in public since.
Reports have claimed he suffered serious injuries to his legs and face.
Pezeshkian said he had met the supreme leader twice, telling CBS he had “no specific ongoing health issues or challenges” and had been well enough to hold seven hours of talks.
Oman, which has been mediating between the US and Iran, called on all parties to continue open dialogue to resolve the crisis.
Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, told the UN General Debate that “all parties” should cooperate with Oman in efforts to safeguard navigation in the strategic waterway.
Trump’s rejection of Iran’s proposal was supported by US Ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker.
Speaking to Fox News on Saturday, Whitaker said Iran had offered “half measures” and “illusory deals to make themselves look good on the world stage”.
“President Trump’s right to reject it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Saturday that US economic sanctions were taking a toll on Iran.
Posting on X, Bessent said Turkey, Oman and the United Arab Emirates had halted flights from various Iranian airlines, while some banks in the UAE and Turkey had stopped transactions with Iran.
The Trump administration has called its economic blockade on Iran “Operation Economic Outcast”, as the White House seeks to use economic pressure to force Tehran to stop attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, some economists have questioned whether the latest sanctions will be effective, saying their impact depends on the response of Iran’s major trading partners.
China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, has previously ignored US sanctions and continued doing business with Tehran.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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