Trump Rejects Iran’s Seven-Day Hormuz Deal as Tanker Strikes Continue

On September 26, President Trump called Iran's offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days "unacceptable," ending the most concrete diplomatic proposal since the naval standoff began in February.

Iran had transmitted the offer through Qatar on September 25. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would restart talks on its military program within seven days of any agreement, on condition the US lifted its naval blockade on Iranian ports, ended the embargo on Iranian shipping, waived oil sanctions and agreed to a Lebanon ceasefire. No White House response arrived before Trump's rejection.

Iran had made a narrower offer days before, proposing to reopen the strait within seven days if US forces withdrew from Iranian waters, but the September 25 terms sent through Qatar added sanctions relief and a Lebanon ceasefire.

Attacks on shipping continued through the standoff. On September 21, the LR Stephanie, a 72,825-deadweight-tonne Isle of Man-registered tanker, was struck while inbound to the Persian Gulf. Two crewmembers sustained minor injuries. It was the fourth tanker hit since September 17, following the MT Trend, the STI Steadfast and an LPG carrier, the Al Maryah. The previous day, three ships were struck near the strait in a single day, including the Cape Dao off Oman. The IMO had logged 85 confirmed incidents and 24 seafarer deaths as of September 24.

Traffic stayed well below pre-war levels. Crude flows in the week ending September 25 totalled 33.7 million barrels, against 49.2 million the week before. US Central Command said it had redirected 122 commercial vessels to enforce blockade compliance.

Iran has been routing trade north. Container arrivals at Caspian ports rose 50 percent year-on-year through August. Northern ports now carry 30 percent of essential goods movement, up from 18 percent before the conflict. The logistics are difficult: Caspian ships handle a fraction of what a southern tanker hauls, and truck queues at the Norduz border crossing reach 1,800 vehicles at a time.