US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s seven-day ceasefire proposal and told aides he expects to resume bombing Iran after the November midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
The plan, put forward by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, would have reopened the Strait of Hormuz within a week. In return, Tehran sought the implementation of commitments from the June 17 Islamabad memorandum of understanding, including the release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of oil sanctions, an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and a halt to all hostilities, including in Lebanon. “The choice now rests with the United States,” Araghchi said.
According to the officials, Trump has publicly said Tehran is seeking a deal but privately remains skeptical that Iran would meet his demands on its nuclear program. His most persistent demands have been that Iran never be able to acquire a nuclear weapon and that it restore free passage through Hormuz.
Trump has also said he believes a deal could materialize shortly after the midterms. Qatar continues to mediate indirectly, and a US official told Al Jazeera the mediated talks were “positive and constructive.” The rejection again stalls efforts to end the seven-month conflict, in which talks between Tehran and Washington have broken down numerous times.