Only diplomacy can solve conflict, says Iran after Trump rejects peace plan
Iran has insisted that only diplomacy can solve its conflict with the US and Israel after Donald Trump said he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the fighting. <p>Iran announced a peace proposal last week at the UN General Assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americans via Qatari mediators.</p><p>Mr Trump said on Saturday he rejected the plan and argued that Iranians were pushing for an agreement on the strait out of desperation.</p><p>Abbas Araghchi, Iranian foreign minister, said on social media: "Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met.</p><p>"Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock."</p><p>"They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they're losing so badly," the US president told reporters at the White House.</p><widget id="7"></widget> <widget id="4"></widget><p>Despite Mr Trump's public statements, mediators facilitating Tehran's discussions with the US have not officially handed over a US rejection of the plan, according to Mr Araghchi.</p><p>"We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them," he posted.</p><p>The US has imposed an economic blockade to ramp up pressure on <strong><a href="https://news.sky.com/topic/iran-5977/1" target="_self">Iran</a></strong> to halt attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.</p><p>There has been significantly reduced shipping in the region, even as Mr Trump repeatedly claims that the US controls the waterway.</p> <widget id="2"></widget><p>The Wall Street Journal first reported that Mr Trump rejected the Iranian proposal, citing unnamed US officials.</p><p>It said he was privately doubtful that Tehran would meet his demands and had told his staff a renewed campaign of strikes seemed likely after the November US midterm elections.</p><p><strong>More from Sky News:<br /><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/spain-housing-crisis-protest-after-87-year-old-woman-evicted-13592322" target="_self">Spain housing protest after woman, 87, evicted</a></strong><br /><a href="https://news.sky.com/video/pope-leads-giant-open-air-mass-in-paris-13592178" target="_self"><strong>Pope leads giant open-air mass in Paris</strong></a></p><p>Iran's main point of leverage has been its disruption of the key waterway where, before the Iran war, 20% of the world's oil and gas passed through, with the effects being felt far beyond the Middle East.</p><p>A US official said earlier that talks with Iran through mediators were "positive and constructive".</p><p>The Iranians also said they consulted their Saudi rivals regarding the strategic waterway.</p> <widget id="3"></widget> <widget id="5"></widget><p>Mr Araghchi told reporters at the UN on Friday the proposed deal would <strong><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/iran-says-it-has-given-us-concrete-seven-day-plan-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz-13591945" target="_self">spark a seven-day countdown</a></strong> to reopening the strait and a pause in regional fighting.</p><p>"If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared," Mr Araghchi said.</p><p>If the US were to agree, the warring countries could engage in wider talks "on mutually agreed subjects", potentially including discussions of Iran's nuclear programme.</p><p>Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an interview with the CBS show Face the Nation, said Iran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme and other issues, but would not accept "bullying or coercion".</p>