Iran says it has not received a formal rejection from Washington through mediators of its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and still views negotiations as the only way out of the dispute.
The statement was Tehran’s first substantive response after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly said he had rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the strategic waterway and halt regional fighting, according to Vesti Baku.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said mediators had not yet delivered Washington’s definitive position. Iran would wait for the formal response before deciding how to proceed, he said.
Araghchi said Tehran’s conditions remain in force and that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen only after they are met. He announced no easing of Iran’s position.
Iran’s proposal set out a seven-day path to reopen the strait while pausing hostilities across the region. It was conveyed to Washington through Qatari mediators. The plan calls for the United States to lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release frozen Iranian funds and waive oil sanctions before broader negotiations begin.
Trump said the proposal was unacceptable, arguing that Iran was seeking a deal because it was in a weak position. A U.S. official had previously described indirect contacts through mediators as positive and constructive.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran is prepared to discuss its nuclear program and other disputed issues but will not accept pressure. A senior Iranian official separately told Reuters that Iran would not relinquish what it considers its nuclear rights, including uranium enrichment.
The public positions remain far apart, but the diplomatic channel through mediators has not formally closed. Its future is central to prospects for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carried about one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the current conflict disrupted traffic.
Araghchi’s response and Trump’s rejection were also detailed by Al Jazeera, while Reuters reported the proposal’s terms and Tehran’s conditions.