President Donald Trump publicly rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, telling reporters at the White House that Tehran wants a deal "because they're losing so badly" and that the United States has established "the greatest blockade in military history — it's a wall of steel" [2][9]. Trump said "I reject their proposal ... I rejected their deal" and asserted that the US has "total control" of the strait [5][8]. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told aides he expects to resume bombing Iran after the November midterm elections, privately doubting Tehran will meet his demands [1][3][18].
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had conveyed a "concrete seven-day plan" through Qatari mediators, under which the US would lift the naval blockade, waive oil sanctions, release at least $12 billion in frozen assets, and agree to a ceasefire on all fronts including Yemen and Lebanon; the strait would reopen on day six and nuclear talks would begin on day seven [9][11][30]. Araghchi stated that "only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock" and that "everything is now prepared" if the US is serious [7][15][26]. He said the conditions asked of Washington are "nothing new" beyond the June memorandum of understanding signed in Pakistan, which collapsed within a month [30][18].
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran "has not walked away from the negotiating table" but "no longer trusts the United States," and that the proposal was developed in coordination with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei [7][8][12]. Pezeshkian denied Iran is responsible for blocking the strait, calling the closure "a natural response" to routes being cut off by the US [24].
The Revolutionary Guards struck a different posture. Spokesman Hossein Mohebi stated that the strait is under the control of the Revolutionary Guard's naval forces and that the US Navy could not keep it open even for a few hours [14]. He said Iran "will not cease punishing the US until Iran's seven conditions are met" [7]. Turkish media reported that the Revolutionary Guards will not accept a new deal formula and are preparing for a prolonged war [13].
Trump posted an image on Truth Social labeling the waterway "Trump Strait" [22][31]. He framed his Iran policy as a choice for Tehran between a deal and "annihilating the Islamic Republic" [28]. Israeli officials assessed that the blockade decision is broader than publicly stated and aimed at crippling IRGC revenue, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convening the inner cabinet for urgent discussions [38].
The blockade's economic toll on Iran is documented in customs data and analyst assessments. Iran Customs Administration head Foroud Asgari announced that non-oil exports fell about 28.2% and imports about 26.1% year-on-year, producing a roughly $2 billion non-oil trade deficit [36]. Kpler energy analyst Homayoun Falakshahi said Iranian oil exports have fallen to 255,000 barrels per day [36]. Economist Jamshid Asadi said falling state revenue and inability to import needed goods will lead to runaway inflation [36]. Iranian Pharmacists Association spokesman Hadi Ahmadi said the medicine situation this year is incomparable to previous years, with insufficient raw materials for domestic production and inadequate drug imports [36]. First-person testimony collected by Euronews Persian documented Iranian households cutting back on food, travel, and basic goods [37].
The strait crisis also imposes quantifiable costs on global shipping and Asian oil-importing economies. CBS News reported that war-risk premiums have jumped to 3.5–10% of vessel value and transits are down 90–95%, with experts saying safety fears rather than insurance cost are the real barrier [32]. McGill and Partners marine head David Smith said "insurance isn't the gatekeeper," and Kpler freight analyst Matt Wright said a naval convoy is "not a realistic possibility" while attacks continue [32]. QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi told Reuters that 17% of Qatar's LNG export capacity is offline and repairs could take three to five years [32]. Japan, which depends on the Middle East for over 90% of its oil, faces stagflation risk, according to Nissei Basic Research Institute executive fellow Yasuhide Yajima [40]. South Korea's 70.7% dependence on Middle East crude and 20.4% dependence on Middle East LNG passing through Hormuz has prompted government contingency planning [41]. A Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air analysis estimated India's additional fossil-fuel import cost at $22 billion from March to August 2026 [42]. The conflict has also foreclosed alternative transit routes Central Asia sought to reduce dependence on Russia, according to Carnegie Endowment analysis [46].
A coalition of more than 35 governments, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan, issued a joint statement condemning Iran's attacks on commercial vessels and the de facto closure of the strait, calling for compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2817 [35]. International-law analysts at Just Security argued that Iran's attacks on neutral shipping and mining of the strait violate UNCLOS and the law of armed conflict [33]. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting Houthi ballistic missiles and drones launched toward Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia expressed concern that the Iran-Oman route arrangement is bilateral rather than inclusive of Gulf states [5][26][12].
Middle-power mediation continues through Oman, Qatar, and Pakistan. Omani and Iranian officials described toll-free corridor arrangements coordinated with the International Maritime Organization, and an unnamed US official confirmed that talks continue through intermediaries including the nuclear file [16][45]. Pakistani analysts doubt Islamabad can convert its brokerage role into durable trade or diplomatic gains, with former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi saying nations are not run on brotherhood but on trade [43].
In the United States, the Senate defeated a House-passed war powers resolution 49–50, with Republican Senator Thom Tillis voting for it for the first time and saying "we just need answers ... we got to know what success looks like" [34]. Senator Bill Cassidy cast the decisive vote against after meeting with Majority Leader John Thune, saying the administration had made little effort to consult Congress [34]. German media reported that the blockade has raised US gas prices and lowered Trump's poll numbers [10].
Araghchi said Tehran has received only an "initial reaction" from Trump and awaits a formal US response through mediators [24][12]. US officials told Al Jazeera that Washington is in no hurry to respond [31], and Turkish media reported that US officials have informed Iran and the mediators that Washington does not intend to lift the naval blockade at all [13]. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is reluctant to mount large-scale operations partly to preserve dwindling munitions [22].