Trump Rejects the Iranian '7-Day Plan'.. 'Bombing After the Elections'

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U.S. President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal for a 7-day ceasefire, which includes steps to pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming navigation, while indirect communications between Washington and Tehran continue through intermediaries.

Trump has informed his aides that he expects to resume bombing Iran after the upcoming midterm elections in November, and he expressed doubts during closed discussions about Tehran's willingness to meet U.S. demands, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials.

U.S. officials mentioned that Trump's positions may change as the war continues and may be influenced by the results of the midterm elections, clarifying that the United States has informed Iran and intermediaries that Trump does not intend to lift the maritime blockade imposed on Iranian ports, despite ongoing indirect talks about ending the war and the nuclear file.

Officials indicated that Washington and Tehran are still negotiating through intermediaries, including on the nuclear file, at a time when they considered that U.S. efforts to ensure the passage of tankers through Hormuz have reduced the urgent need to reach an agreement at this time.

Trump had said in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly that he has a "big decision" regarding Iran, speaking about the option of reaching an agreement or "eliminating it," but in any case, he linked that to after the midterm elections.

The announcement of Trump's rejection came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that his country had presented a "concrete plan" to Washington through intermediaries, which extends for 7 days, involving mutual steps that would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of negotiations.

Araghchi said, from New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings, that the plan stipulates that "if the necessary conditions are met, the strait may be reopened and transit movement could return to normal within 7 days," adding that "the choice is now up to the United States."

It is worth noting that the Iranian proposal included a cessation of hostilities, including in other regional fronts, lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, easing restrictions on Iranian oil exports, and releasing frozen Iranian assets, with Iran committing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the seventh day, after which negotiations regarding its nuclear program would resume.

Additionally, the plan comes at a time when Washington and Tehran continue indirect communications through intermediaries, including Qatar, in an attempt to find a way out of the war that has been ongoing since late February. An American official told Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that the talks through intermediaries are "positive and constructive," but he emphasized that the United States "is not in a hurry" to reach an agreement, given what Washington considers an important leverage represented by controlling navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

While the Strait of Hormuz has become a major focal point in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran, the freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway has become directly linked to the course of war and negotiations. Iran, through the new proposal, seeks to link the reopening of the strait to a reduction in U.S. military and economic pressure on it, while Washington focuses on ensuring freedom of navigation and pressuring Tehran regarding its nuclear program.