President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, saying Tehran had overplayed its hand, and said talks could resume next week through Qatari mediators.
The proposal, submitted Friday, would lift the US blockade that has frozen Iranian exports since the February strikes, and it comes after a weekend when more than 20 million barrels of oil passed through the strait, a route that carries one‑fifth of global oil and gas.
Indirect talks between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, and the next round of negotiations could begin Monday with Qatar acting as the intermediary.
Trump said he is always thinking about striking Iran, and that he may consider renewed attacks after the November 3 midterm elections, a move that could raise fuel prices even higher.
For fishermen in the Persian Gulf, the blockade has cut off a vital source of income, and families who once sold their catch along the Hormuz coast now face uncertainty as the dispute drags on.