US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had rejected Iran’s latest proposal submitted during indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran in New York this week.
“They have made a proposal and I rejected it,” Trump told reporters outside the White House, according to Axios.
Despite the rejection, diplomatic contacts have not ended. A US official described ongoing discussions between the two countries through regional mediators as “positive and constructive,” with nuclear issues among the subjects under discussion.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held a new round of indirect negotiations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to sources familiar with the talks.
Qatari officials reportedly acted as intermediaries, carrying messages between the American and Iranian delegations.
During the negotiations, Araghchi presented Tehran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting nuclear negotiations.
Iran proposed reopening the strategic waterway and resuming nuclear talks within a week in return for the United States lifting its naval blockade, removing sanctions on Iranian oil exports and restoring a ceasefire across the region.
US negotiators rejected the premise of Iran’s demand regarding the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly telling their Iranian counterparts that Tehran does not control the waterway and therefore could not set conditions concerning its reopening.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, particularly for global energy supplies.
The latest diplomatic efforts come as Qatar, Türkiye and other regional mediators attempt to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran and revive negotiations.
While talks through intermediaries are continuing, substantial disagreements remain over the terms for de-escalation, the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions and Iran’s nuclear programme.