On Sunday, September 27, 2026, Iran maintained that diplomatic negotiations remain the only way to resolve its conflict with the United States and Israel. This statement followed public remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, in which he said he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting.
The current conflict began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks and has since expanded throughout the Middle East. Iran introduced its latest peace proposal last week during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, conveying the terms to the U.S. through Qatari mediators. The U.S. currently maintains an economic blockade on Iran to pressure Tehran to stop Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway critical for global oil shipments.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on social media that any move to reopen the strait depends on specific Iranian conditions being met. While President Trump told reporters at the White House that he rejected the plan, Araqchi noted that official mediators had not yet relayed a formal rejection to Tehran. According to The Wall Street Journal, President Trump expressed private skepticism regarding Iran's willingness to meet his demands and told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the U.S. midterm elections in November.
The seven-month-old conflict directly affects global energy consumers and shipping companies as it disrupts oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade and subsequent reduction in shipping traffic have impacted the global economy, while the conflict itself has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. Iranian conventional forces have been degraded, and the nation’s economy has suffered further damage.
For regional neighbors, the scale of the conflict is reflected in retaliatory strikes involving drones and missiles across the Gulf. A Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by Houthi forces from Yemen on Saturday. The Iranian peace proposal, if accepted, would initiate a seven-day countdown to a pause in fighting and the reopening of the waterway.
What happens next depends on the formal response from U.S. mediators. If the U.S. agrees to the proposal, the parties may begin broader negotiations on subjects including Iran's nuclear program. However, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran will not offer concessions on uranium enrichment or the removal of highly enriched uranium from its territory. President Trump continues to maintain that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that while Iran does not seek war, it will not accept what he termed bullying or coercion during future talks.