Iran Awaits Formal US Reply on Hormuz Deal as Mediators Meet

Iranian diplomats are conferring with Qatari intermediaries over a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even as United States President Donald Trump publicly dismissed Tehran's overture.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran offered a plan to restore regular maritime traffic through the vital energy corridor within seven days, provided Washington fulfills terms outlined in a prior 14-point memorandum signed on June 18. According to reporting by BBC News Nepali, Araghchi announced the initiative at the United Nations, noting that the proposal had been delivered to American officials through Qatari mediators.

The strategic waterway, which handled roughly a fifth of the world's petroleum and liquefied natural gas before hostilities erupted, has been severely disrupted since late February, when joint US and Israeli aerial strikes prompted Iranian retaliatory attacks and maritime blockades.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, President Trump rejected Tehran's terms as "unacceptable," claiming Iran was suffering severe economic hardship from naval sanctions and wanted the strait reopened out of desperation. Trump insisted the US maintains complete control over the waterway and claimed petroleum shipments were proceeding in substantial volumes. Following Trump's remarks, Araghchi noted on Telegram that the US leader frequently makes contradictory statements, adding that Iran would reserve its decision until mediators formally communicate Washington's official diplomatic stance.

Diplomatic activity continued as Araghchi prepared to meet Qatari mediators, whose delegation is in the United States, to review the proposal and examine potential sanctions relief, according to Nepali news portal Onlinekhabar, citing Iran's ISNA news agency. Semiofficial outlet Tasnim clarified that direct negotiations between Iranian and American officials remain off the table.

Military posturing has accompanied the diplomatic maneuvering. Onlinekhabar reported that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei claimed Iranian coastal forces had pushed American warships out of southern Iranian waters and into the Arabian Sea, warning that Tehran aims to clear foreign military assets from the wider region. In contrast, US officials told the BBC that American naval forces remain in an advantageous posture and feel no urgency to settle.

Compounding maritime risks, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi forces have intensified strikes along the Red Sea, recently capturing strategic stretches near the Bab al-Mandab strait.