Trump Rejects Iranian Proposal

Tel Aviv - Afaq News - U.S. President Donald Trump announced his rejection of the Iranian proposal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program within seven days, in exchange for lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, retracting sanctions imposed on oil sales, and reaching a ceasefire agreement that also includes Lebanon.

Trump said, in a statement to reporters at the White House on Saturday, in response to the Iranian proposal: "I reject the offer."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the proposal on Friday to reporters outside the United Nations Security Council, explaining that the seven-day deadline would begin as soon as the United States agrees to the plan.

According to Araghchi, the initial steps to implement the agreement would take about four to five days, with the strait reopening on the sixth day, while negotiations with the United States would resume on the seventh day with the aim of reaching a final agreement on the issues agreed upon by both parties, including the Iranian nuclear program.

Tehran uses the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure card.

The disruption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas traded before the war passed, has become the main leverage used by Tehran, while the repercussions of this have extended beyond the Middle East, imposing political challenges on Trump and the Republican Party as the midterm elections for Congress approach in November.

Gulf states did not issue an immediate response to the Iranian proposal, but a source familiar with the matter told the Associated Press that Saudi Arabia is skeptical about the latest attempt to reach an agreement.

The Iranian proposal was conveyed to the United States via Qatar, and it closely resembles a temporary agreement reached last June, but it includes a faster timeline for implementation.

The previous agreement stipulated a 60-day transitional period, but it quickly collapsed after Iran resumed its attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump: There is no rush to reach an agreement.

Trump stated that he is not in a hurry to reach an agreement, at a time when high oil prices are increasing inflationary pressures.

On the Iranian side, questions are raised about the willingness of the hardline factions that control the security apparatus to agree to concessions pushed by more moderate parties, including Iranian President Masoud Bezhakian.