Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day ceasefire proposal, expects bombing to resume after US midterms: Report

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and told aides he expects US bombing of Iran to resume after the November midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials. Tehran had offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart negotiations over its nuclear programme under the proposed arrangement.

Iran’s proposal would require Washington to lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, ease sanctions on Iranian oil exports and observe a ceasefire that includes Lebanon. In return, Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks with the United States on its nuclear programme.

Also read: US, Iran explore phased deal to reopen Hormuz, lift economic blockade: Report


Trump has publicly said Iran is seeking a post-midterm agreement that would dismantle its nuclear programme. Privately, however, he remains doubtful that Tehran would accept his demands and has told aides that renewed bombing is likely, according to the officials cited by the Journal.

The extent of any renewed US military action remains unclear. Trump is also reluctant to restart major combat operations partly because Washington wants to conserve dwindling munitions for other potential contingencies, the officials said.

What has Iran offered in its 7-day plan?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had proposed a seven-day framework under which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened and nuclear negotiations with Washington resumed.

“If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, a normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice now rests with the United States,” he said.

“The seven-day timeline will start as soon as the United States accepts this plan,” Araghchi said.

Under the proposal, the United States would lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observe a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.

Araghchi said the initial steps would take four to five days, followed by the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on the sixth day.

“And on day seven, the talks with the U.S. will be started for the final deal on mutually agreed subjects,” he said.

He said the measures expected from Washington were already included in a memorandum of understanding reached between Iran and the United States in June.

“The actions that the United States should should take are not new. They are all already in the MOU,” he said.

The proposal was conveyed through Qatar, which has been involved in mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington.

Also read: US, Iranian heads in same room. Will talks happen?

Washington resists lifting blockade

The Trump administration has told Iran and regional mediators that the president does not intend to lift the maritime blockade, according to officials familiar with the discussions.

Washington believes sustained economic pressure could eventually push Tehran towards an agreement on terms favourable to the United States and Arab states in the Persian Gulf.

A US official said Washington and Tehran were continuing negotiations through mediators, including on the nuclear issue. An American-led effort to keep oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian threats has also reduced the immediate pressure for an agreement, the official said.

The White House said US officials were engaged in positive and constructive discussions with mediators over the conflict and that Washington was facilitating oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump told world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly this week that domestic politics would not shape his approach to Iran.

“The Republican Party is running, and I’ll be helping them, but I am not running. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence through the election when it comes to Iran,” he said.

“The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump has nevertheless urged Republicans to campaign as though he himself were on the ballot in the midterm elections.

His position leaves open the possibility of renewed fighting, although US officials cautioned that his views could change as the conflict continues and the elections approach. Trump has shifted between diplomacy, military action and economic pressure during the conflict, declaring victory while also ordering strikes and tightening sanctions against Tehran.

He has also threatened broader military action to pressure Iran in negotiations before subsequently stepping back from his most expansive threats.

Hormuz remains a key flash point

The Strait of Hormuz has become a major source of leverage for Iran in its confrontation with Washington. Before the war, about a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passed through the strategic waterway, according to the supplied report.

Iran's latest proposal directly tied reopening the strait to the lifting of the US blockade, sanctions relief and renewed negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The framework resembles an interim arrangement discussed in June, although the latest proposal sets a much shorter timeline. The earlier arrangement envisaged a 60-day interim period, including sanctions relief on oil sales, access to frozen Iranian assets and recognition of a role for Tehran in administering the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for reopening the waterway.

That arrangement later collapsed after Iran resumed attacks on shipping in the strait.