US, Iran Eye Talks Over Hormuz Strait
The United States and Iran are expected to hold talks this week, according to President Donald Trump, after rejecting an earlier proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a ceasefire.
Trump said his negotiators would engage Iranian counterparts over the next few days to break the stalemate. Iran announced a peace proposal at the UN General Assembly, calling for cessation of hostilities and a return to the conditions of a previous ceasefire deal, including release of frozen assets and lifting of sanctions.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would not capitulate but would reopen the strait only if its conditions were met. He posted that a negotiated solution was necessary to end the deadlock.
Trump’s UN ambassador Mike Waltz accused Tehran of demanding too much, citing the release of the blockade, sanctions and access to billions in assets as unacceptable. The Wall Street Journal reported Trump had rejected the proposal, citing unnamed US officials.
Iran’s armed forces warned they were prepared for any renewed US attacks. The Revolutionary Guards claimed to have seized an American submarine drone in the Strait of Hormuz, identifying it as a Remus 600 autonomous underwater vehicle.
Army Commander-in-Chief Amir Hatami said the war was at a critical stage and that Iran would not accept a situation where it could not trade while foreign powers used the region’s strategic waterways.
