Trump Rejects Iran’s 7-Day Ceasefire Offer, US Strikes Could Resume After Midterms

US President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and has told aides that he expects American bombing of Iran to resume after the November midterm elections, according to US officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Tehran’s proposal reportedly called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of nuclear negotiations in return for the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. The blockade has placed additional pressure on Iran’s already strained economy.

Trump is reportedly sceptical that Tehran will fulfil the conditions he is seeking. He has also said publicly that Iran is looking for an agreement after the midterm elections that would dismantle its nuclear programme.

Iran proposes seven-day framework

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier that Tehran had presented Washington with a seven-day plan under which the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and nuclear talks restarted.

The proposal was conditional on the US lifting its naval blockade, removing oil sanctions and observing a ceasefire.

“If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, a normal maritime passage restored within seven days,” Araghchi told reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. He said the decision now rested with Washington.

Araghchi described the proposal as a “concrete” framework and said the measures sought from the United States were not new.

He referred to a memorandum of understanding reached between Iran and the US in June, arguing that the steps Tehran was requesting were already covered by that agreement.

Hormuz remains at centre of standoff

Iran’s proposal comes as the US blockade of Iranian ports continues to weigh on the country’s economy and the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved.

The strategically important waterway is a major route for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of Tehran’s proposal.

However, according to the Wall Street Journal report, Trump has rejected the seven-day ceasefire plan and indicated to aides that US military strikes could resume after the November midterm elections.

The developments point to a continued stalemate between Washington and Tehran, with the two sides yet to reach an agreement on the conditions for ending hostilities and restarting nuclear negotiations.