Iranian minister says only negotiation can end conflict after Trump rejects Hormuz deal
Iranian minister says only negotiation can end conflict after Trump rejects Hormuz deal Image source, Getty Images By Brandon Livesay Published 27 September 2026, 03:16 BST Updated 17 minutes ago Only a "negotiated solution" can end the conflict between the US and Iran, Tehran's foreign minister has said, after President Donald Trump publicly rejected a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told reporters at the White House that Iran's proposal was not "acceptable" and that Tehran wanted to make a deal to open the strait to commercial shipping within seven days because "they're losing so badly".
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The BBC never mentions the Wall Street Journal report, citing US officials, that Trump privately expects a renewed bombing campaign after the November midterms. Without it, a reader believes Trump rejected the proposal only because of its terms and that talks remain his path. Other outlets reported that he has told his staff he expects to resume strikes.
How we know
- Al-Monitor reported“he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the November US midterm elections”Trump rejects Iranian proposal to open Hormuz and end fighting (opens in a new tab)
- The Times (London) reported“Privately, the president told aides he expected to resume airstrikes against Iran after the November midterms”Trump rejects Iran’s ceasefire deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz (opens in a new tab)
- The Independent reported“told staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the November US midterm elections to Congress”Trump rejects Iran’s proposal to open Strait of Hormuz and end fighting (opens in a new tab)
In a post on Telegram, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged Trump's rejection, but said Iran would wait for a "definitive" official US response. He said the president had made contradictory statements in the past. Araghchi said the conditions to open the strait were the same that had been included in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran that was signed in June. Iran said it had raised reopening the strait and ending hostilities during negotiations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this past week.
The vital waterway through which around a fifth of the world's gas and oil supply usually flows has been effectively closed since the outbreak of war in February. "I'm rejecting their deal," Trump said on Saturday, adding that the US already had "total control" of the strait, with "massive amounts of oil" passing through it, causing massive rises in global oil prices and steep fuel cost increases for consumers. Araghchi wrote on Telegram that Trump "has made many good statements, as well as many contradictory ones, which unfortunately we hear frequently".
Left out here: Drops what it reported before
The BBC writes of the 'outbreak of war in February' and never says that the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on 28 February. Israel does not appear in the article at all, although the BBC reported this two days earlier. The article does name a US strike and the US bombing campaign elsewhere, so the gap is partial.
How we know
- BBC News wrote earlier“The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on 28 February.”Iran offers US deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz in seven days (opens in a new tab)
He continued: "We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them." Separately, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, who travelled to New York for the UN general assembly , told the BBC's US news partner CBS that "distrust created by this war needs to be overcome" in order for talks to be successful. He said the Iranians were open to talks on implementing the MOU in stages in order to end the impasse, but that the "US needs to show it does not intend to overthrow our government".
Pezeshkian said Trump had "tore up" the MOU when the US resumed its bombing campaign, adding: "If we don't abide by what we have written down, can we really resolve it by dialogue?" He was also asked about Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in the US strike which killed his father in February and has not been seen in public since. Reports have claimed he suffered serious injuries to his legs and face. Pezeshkian said he had met the supreme leader on two occasions, telling CBS he had "no specific ongoing health issues or challenges" and had been well enough to hold seven hours of talks.
Oman, which has been acting as a mediator between the US and Iran, called for all parties to continue having open dialogue to resolve the crisis. Oman's foreign minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, told the UN General Debate that "all parties" should cooperate with Oman in efforts to safeguard navigation in the strategic waterway. Trump's rejection of Iran's proposal was backed by US ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker.
Speaking to Fox News on Saturday, Whitaker said that Iran had offered "half measures" and "illusory deals to make themselves look good on the world stage". "President Trump's right to reject it," he said. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Saturday that economic sanctions imposed by the US were taking a toll on Iran. Posting on X, Bessent said Turkey, Oman and the United Arab Emirates had halted flights from various Iranian airlines, and some banks in the UAE and Turkey had stopped transactions with Iran.
The Trump administration has dubbed an economic blockade on Iran "Operation Economic Outcast", with the White House attempting to use economic pressure to force Tehran to stop attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. But some economists have questioned whether the latest sanctions will be effective, as this depends on the reaction from Iran's major trading partners. These include China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, which has ignored previous US sanctions and continued to do business with Tehran.
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