Iran continues to stand by its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, despite U.S. President Donald Trump rejecting Tehran’s latest proposal. The disagreement has added to tensions in West Asia and left diplomatic efforts facing a major challenge.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes. A large share of global oil shipments normally passes through the waterway, making its continued disruption a major concern for energy markets and countries that depend on imported fuel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s proposal would allow the strait to reopen within seven days and restart negotiations with the United States. The proposal was delivered through mediators while Iranian officials were in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Iran has linked the reopening of the waterway to several conditions. These include an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, the lifting or waiving of oil-related sanctions and a broader ceasefire covering the region, including Lebanon. Tehran has said that these issues need to be addressed before it can move forward on the strait.
Trump rejected the proposal publicly on September 26. He argued that Iran was seeking the immediate reopening of the waterway while under pressure from the ongoing conflict. Washington has also rejected conditions that would give Tehran control over international navigation through the strait.
Iran has continued to say that it is open to diplomacy but will not give up what it considers its rights. The situation has therefore remained focused on whether the two sides can find a formula that addresses Iran’s security and economic demands while ensuring freedom of navigation.
The situation became more tense after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its naval forces had seized a U.S. underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials identified the system as an unmanned underwater vehicle and said it was being examined for information.
However, the U.S. military disputed the Iranian account and said it maintained control of its underwater vehicles. As a result, the reported seizure remains a contested claim rather than an independently established fact.
The issue has also drawn concern from other countries in the region. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told the United Nations that international waterways should not be used as tools of pressure and called for the Strait of Hormuz to be restored to the condition it was in before the conflict.
The United Nations has also warned about the wider consequences of prolonged disruption to major maritime routes. UN officials have said that continued instability around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab could affect global energy markets, food security and economies far beyond West Asia.
For now, there is no clear breakthrough between Washington and Tehran. Iran says it remains willing to negotiate under its conditions, while the Trump administration has rejected the latest proposal. The future of the Strait of Hormuz therefore remains closely tied to the wider conflict and diplomatic efforts to end it.