Iran Offers 7-Day Hormuz Reopening Deal as Trump Says Tehran "Overplayed Its Hand"

Iran has proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart negotiations over its nuclear program, but the offer has been publicly dismissed by US President Donald Trump, leaving the two sides at an impasse [250125][249975].

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran conveyed the concrete seven-day plan to Washington through Qatar. Under the proposal, the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which about one-fifth of the world's oil passes — would reopen to maritime navigation within seven days of an agreement [250933][250443].

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran wants an agreement with the United States before November's midterm elections and that the offer is now on the table [250125]. He also said the United States "must choose" whether it wants to end the war, accusing Washington of repeatedly undermining efforts to reach a deal [249889].

The plan comes with difficult conditions. Under the proposal, the US would need to lift freezes on Iranian assets and allow Iran to export its oil. Iran also demands that Trump order Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end Israel's attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon to achieve what Tehran calls a "ceasefire on all fronts" [249975].

Trump said he expects more talks with Iran this week but warned Tehran it has "overplayed" its hand. He rejected the Iranian proposal to lift the blockade and reopen the strait, keeping the military option open [251526]. Bloomberg News also reported that Trump rejected Iran's latest proposal to reopen the waterway and restart negotiations [251329].

Araghchi said Sunday that only negotiation can end the conflict, and that Tehran is still waiting for a formal rejection of the deal — even after the US president publicly dismissed it. He said Iran needs an official answer in writing, not just comments to the press [251757].

The standoff continues to strain global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important shipping routes in the world, and any closure can disrupt global energy supplies and raise oil prices [250443][251329].

Meanwhile, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran still holds a large amount of uranium enriched to 60 percent, and inspectors have lost the access they need to verify nuclear material and facilities damaged by military strikes. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said inspections could restart quickly if there is political will for a new agreement [251328].

Separately, Trump said the United States worked with the United Kingdom to stop an attack on a US air base in the UK that is used for US strikes on Iran. UK police made terrorism arrests near the base and called the situation a "major incident" [251778].

Iran has also warned that any new US military strike would push Tehran to expand the "geography of the war," signaling that fresh attacks could spread the fighting beyond its current borders [246383].

The conflict has drawn political attention inside the United States, where several Republicans in competitive midterm races are now calling for an end to the Iran war, adding to a growing push within their own party to stop the conflict with less than 40 days left before the elections [251210].