US President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal that could have reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping within seven days, saying Tehran had advanced the offer because it was losing the war.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, Trump said the United States already had what he described as “total control” of the waterway. He said he was open to reaching an agreement with Iran but regarded the proposal now under discussion as unacceptable.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that normal maritime transit through the strait could be restored within a week if unspecified necessary conditions were fulfilled. He said those conditions were already included in a memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries in June, and that Iran had not introduced new demands.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also referred to the memorandum, saying the situation could return to its previous state if the United States agreed to proceed according to its terms.
Disputed memorandum
The 14-point memorandum was intended to establish a ceasefire and partly reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It included a commitment that Iran would not have a nuclear weapon, while also setting out an end to military operations by the US, Iran and their allies on all fronts. Its provisions included ending a US naval blockade and other sanctions.
The agreement later collapsed after both sides resumed strikes. Iran has attacked vessels it said were trying to pass through the strait without authorisation, while the US has struck Iranian sites in the waterway and Iranian tankers off the country’s coast. The US has also maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, according to the report.
The strait, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s gas and oil supply, has been effectively closed since the war began in February. Its disruption has contributed to major swings in energy prices and placed additional pressure on Trump to seek an end to the conflict as the United States approaches congressional elections in November.
Trump has said oil was still moving through the passage. However, shipping data cited by Reuters and compiled by commodities analytics firm Kpler showed an average of about 18 transits a day over a recent 10-day period, with traffic falling to as few as nine vessels on some days.
Wider regional pressure
The shipping disruption has been compounded by attacks on Saudi oil facilities by Yemen’s Houthi movement, which is allied with Iran. The Houthis have also seized areas of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including the port of Mokha, overlooking another important shipping route at the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it intercepted two ballistic missiles and drones launched by the Houthis towards Saudi Arabia. US media reported that Saudi leaders had requested military support from Trump.
Trump told the UN General Assembly this week that he believed an agreement with Iran could come after the November elections. Araghchi responded on Friday that peace could not be achieved through threats of annihilation.
Source: BBC News
