US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing US officials. The report says Trump has told aides that he expects US bombing of Iran to resume after the November midterm elections. Reuters also reported the WSJ account but said it could not immediately verify the report independently. Iran’s proposal called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of nuclear negotiations. In return, Tehran wanted the US to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and ease other economic restrictions. The blockade has placed additional pressure on Iran’s economy. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump remains “skeptical" that Tehran will meet his demands. Trump has also said publicly that Iran wants to reach a deal after the US midterm elections that would dismantle its nuclear programme.

Iran offers seven-day roadmap

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier outlined Tehran’s seven-day proposal on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Araghchi said Iran was ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear negotiations within seven days if Washington accepted Tehran’s conditions. The proposal included lifting the US naval blockade, waiving sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observing a ceasefire. Reports on the proposal also say Tehran wants hostilities to end during the seven-day period. Araghchi said Iran had presented Washington with a “concrete" plan. He said the next move now rests with the US. “If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, a normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice now rests with the United States," Araghchi told reporters at the United Nations on Friday.

Iran says conditions are not new

Araghchi said Tehran was not putting forward new demands. “The actions that the United States should take are not new. They are all already in the MOU," he said, referring to the memorandum of understanding reached between Iran and the US in June. Iran has described the latest proposal as a way to revive the framework agreed earlier this year. The plan would link the end of hostilities and US concessions to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the return of nuclear talks.

Strait of Hormuz remains key issue

The Strait of Hormuz has become a central issue in the US-Iran standoff. The waterway is a major route for global energy shipments. Iran’s proposal seeks to reopen the strait after seven days if Washington accepts its conditions. The plan also aims to restart negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. For now, the two sides remain at an impasse. Washington has not accepted Tehran’s seven-day proposal, while the Wall Street Journal reports that Trump expects US bombing to resume after the November elections.