TEHRAN | Iran said Wednesday it has received the United States’ formal response to Tehran’s latest proposal for ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting broader negotiations, keeping diplomatic channels open despite President Donald Trump’s public rejection of the offer days earlier.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received the U.S. response through Qatari mediators in Doha, according to Reuters. The response was expected to be reviewed in Tehran, while Qatar continued efforts to bridge differences between Washington and Tehran. The contents of the American response were not immediately disclosed.
Tehran’s proposal was presented during the United Nations General Assembly in New York and called for a phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington met a series of conditions. These included lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, easing sanctions on Iranian oil exports and releasing frozen Iranian assets, according to the Associated Press.
Trump publicly rejected the proposal on Sept. 26, saying the terms were unacceptable. Despite that rejection, U.S. and Iranian officials continued indirect contacts through regional mediators, with the latest discussions focusing in part on the sequence in which proposed steps would be carried out.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the negotiations because it is one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and normally carries a substantial share of global oil shipments. The conflict and restrictions on shipping through the strait have disrupted energy markets and contributed to higher oil prices.
The latest proposal also builds on a memorandum of understanding reached between Washington and Tehran in June. The White House said at the time that the agreement was intended to address Iran’s nuclear program and restore free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The June arrangement later collapsed, leaving the two sides again relying on indirect diplomacy.
The conflict began in late February and has now continued for seven months, with the United States and Iran remaining divided over the terms for ending hostilities and the future of Iran’s nuclear program. The dispute has also involved Israel and has affected shipping, regional security and global energy markets.
The renewed diplomatic effort comes as the United States has also been changing its military posture in the region. On Wednesday, Washington announced that its military withdrawal from Iraq was complete, ending a mission that began more than a decade ago and was initially focused on defeating Islamic State. The move coincided with continued U.S.-Iran diplomatic contacts.
For now, neither side has announced a new agreement. Iran is reviewing Washington’s response, while mediators continue trying to narrow differences over the conditions and sequence for a possible ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and renewed negotiations.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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