Iran Awaits US Response After Trump Rejects Hormuz Plan
Iran is waiting for a formal US response to its proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, even after President Donald Trump publicly rejected the plan.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on September 27 that Tehran had taken note of Trump’s comments but had not received a definitive response through the mediators handling communication between Iran and the United States. He said Iran would decide its next step after receiving Washington’s formal position.
The latest development follows a diplomatic proposal presented by Iran during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Tehran said the seven-day roadmap could lead to the reopening of the strategic waterway and a wider diplomatic process if its conditions were met. Trump later rejected the proposal, saying the terms were not acceptable.
Iran’s Proposal
Iran’s proposal was communicated to Washington through Qatari mediators. Araghchi said the plan could allow normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to resume within seven days if the necessary conditions were accepted.
The proposal was tied to a wider effort to end the conflict and return to negotiations. Iran called for an end to the US naval blockade of its ports, changes to restrictions affecting its oil exports, the release of frozen Iranian assets and a halt to hostilities across the region.
The seven-day timeline was therefore conditional. Tehran did not present it as an unconditional decision to reopen the waterway. Iranian officials have continued to say that the terms must be addressed before normal passage can resume.
The proposal also opened the possibility of broader talks between Iran and the United States after the initial steps were completed. Those discussions could include Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues connected with the conflict.
Trump Rejects Plan
Trump publicly rejected the Iranian proposal on September 26 while speaking to reporters at the White House.
His comments came after Iranian officials had said the proposal was waiting for a response from Washington through mediators. Trump said he had rejected the plan and indicated that the proposed terms did not provide an acceptable basis for an agreement.
The two sides are therefore taking different positions. Washington has publicly rejected the proposal, while Tehran says the mediators have not yet delivered a formal US response.
Araghchi said Iran was waiting for the definitive position to be communicated through the diplomatic channel before deciding what to do next.
That distinction matters because the seven-day roadmap has not become an agreed plan between the two countries. It remains an Iranian proposal that the US president has publicly rejected.
Why Hormuz Matters
The Strait of Hormuz is at the centre of the dispute because of its importance to international shipping and energy supplies.
The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major route for oil and gas shipments. Disruption in the area can therefore affect countries far beyond Iran and the Gulf region.
The current conflict has already reduced shipping through the area, increasing concerns about energy supplies and the wider economic impact. Reuters reported that the prolonged disruption to oil flows has also affected the global economy.
Iran has connected the future of the waterway with the broader diplomatic process. Tehran's position is that reopening should come as part of an agreement that addresses the conditions it has presented to Washington.
Earlier in September, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran could reopen the strait within seven days if Washington reduced military pressure and lifted its blockade of Iranian ports.
Tehran Holds Its Position
Iran has not indicated that it will abandon the conditions attached to its proposal.
Araghchi said on September 27 that any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz depends on those conditions being fulfilled. He also said Iran had not closed the door to diplomacy or negotiations.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has also questioned whether Tehran can trust Washington after previous diplomatic efforts were followed by military action and sanctions.
At the same time, Pezeshkian has said that the conflict can be addressed through negotiations rather than force. Iran is therefore maintaining its willingness to discuss a diplomatic solution while refusing to drop the conditions it has set for reopening the waterway.
That leaves the diplomatic process open, but with a significant gap between the positions of the two governments.
Qatar’s Mediation
Qatar has played a role in passing messages between Tehran and Washington.
Iran used Qatari mediators to deliver its seven-day proposal to the United States. The channel has allowed the two sides to exchange positions despite the difficulties surrounding direct negotiations.
For now, there is no confirmed agreement based on the proposal. Qatar’s involvement remains focused on communication and mediation as Iran and the United States consider their next steps.
The response delivered through this channel could become important if either side decides to revise its position or return to broader negotiations.
What Comes Next
The next stage depends largely on whether Washington provides a formal response through the mediators and how Tehran reacts to it.
Trump has already publicly rejected the current proposal, while Iran says it is still waiting for the definitive US position through the diplomatic channel. This means there is currently no confirmed agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under the seven-day plan.
For now, the waterway remains closely tied to the wider dispute between Iran and the United States. Its reopening would require the two sides to bridge major differences over military pressure, economic restrictions and the conditions for negotiations.
The latest exchanges have not produced a final settlement, but diplomacy remains active through intermediaries. Whether the current proposal is revised or replaced will depend on the next messages between Tehran and Washington.
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