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Iran Says Only Talks Can End War After Trump Spurns Hormuz Deal

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Iran's foreign minister says a negotiated settlement is the only way out of the US conflict, after President Trump publicly turned down a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on 27 September that a bargained settlement is the sole route out of the war between Tehran and Washington, hours after President Donald Trump dismissed an Iranian plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking from the White House on Saturday, Trump told reporters the offer was not "acceptable" and claimed Iran wanted the passage cleared for commercial vessels within a week because "they're losing so badly."

Araghchi responded on Telegram, saying Tehran had noted the president's remarks but would hold off until it received a "definitive" official answer from the United States. He pointed to what he described as a pattern of shifting positions from Trump, writing that the president "has made many good statements, as well as many contradictory ones, which unfortunately we hear frequently." The minister added that Iran was waiting for intermediaries to relay firm US views before choosing its next step.

The waterway at the centre of the dispute carries roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas under normal conditions. It has been largely shut since fighting broke out in February. Trump argued the closure was no longer hurting American interests, insisting Washington held "total control" of the strait and that "massive amounts of oil" were still moving through it. He also blamed the standoff for sharp jumps in global oil prices and rising fuel bills for consumers. "I'm rejecting their deal," he said.

According to Araghchi, the terms Iran put forward matched those already set out in a memorandum of understanding that the two governments signed in June. Tehran says it revived the questions of reopening the strait and halting hostilities during talks held alongside the United Nations General Assembly in New York over the past week.

Pezeshkian points to broken trust

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who travelled to New York for the assembly, struck a similar note in an interview with CBS, the BBC's US news partner. He said the "distrust created by this war needs to be overcome" before any negotiation could succeed. Pezeshkian indicated Iran was willing to discuss carrying out the June memorandum in phases to break the deadlock, but set a condition: the United States "needs to show it does not intend to overthrow our government."

The president accused Trump of having "tore up" the agreement when American forces restarted their bombing campaign. "If we don't abide by what we have written down, can we really resolve it by dialogue?" he asked.

Pezeshkian was also questioned about Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was wounded in the February US strike that killed his father and has stayed out of public view since. Some reports have described severe injuries to his legs and face. The president said he had met Khamenei twice and that the leader had "no specific ongoing health issues or challenges," describing him as fit enough to sit through seven hours of discussions.

Oman urges dialogue as US allies back Trump

Oman, which has served as a go-between for the two sides, called on everyone involved to keep talking. Its foreign minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, used the UN General Debate to press "all parties" to work with Muscat on protecting shipping through the strategic channel.

Trump found support from within the US camp. Matthew Whitaker, the American ambassador to NATO, told Fox News on Saturday that Iran had put forward "half measures" and "illusory deals to make themselves look good on the world stage." He said the president was "right to reject it."

For now, the two governments remain locked in a standoff, with Tehran signalling patience and Washington signalling that it feels little pressure to move. Iran says it will decide how to proceed once mediators deliver Washington's final word, leaving the closed waterway - and the higher energy prices tied to it - unresolved.

Strait of Hormuz, Iran US conflict, Abbas Araghchi, Donald Trump, Masoud Pezeshkian, oil prices, UN General Assembly, Oman mediation

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