Iran Offers Seven-Day Plan to Reopen Hormuz as Trump Rejects Proposal

TEHRAN, — September 26, 2026 — Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days and resume negotiations over its nuclear programme if the United States lifts its naval blockade, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observes a ceasefire covering the wider conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the proposal had been delivered through intermediaries and that the timetable could begin immediately if Washington accepts the conditions. (Reuters; Al Jazeera)

The proposal has quickly become the centre of the latest diplomatic confrontation. Araghchi said the United States now has the choice of accepting the framework or continuing the standoff, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the plan had been coordinated with Iran's leadership. (Sky News; Iranian media)

Hours after the Iranian proposal became public, Donald Trump posted a map on Truth Social showing the waterway labelled “Trump Strait.” The post came amid reports that Trump had rejected Iran's seven-day framework, although Washington had not publicly issued a detailed formal response to every element of Tehran's proposal. (Associated Press) (ABC News)

The Iranian plan would also require an end to military action across the region, including a ceasefire involving Lebanon, before the seven-day timetable for reopening the waterway begins. Tehran says the arrangement would then allow broader negotiations on its nuclear programme to resume. (Al Jazeera)

The Strait remains a crucial issue because it carries a major share of global oil and gas shipments. Continued disruption has already affected energy markets and shipping, while alternative export routes through Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have limited capacity compared with the volumes normally moving through Hormuz. (Reuters)

Iran's position has also received attention across regional diplomatic channels. Iranian and Omani foreign ministers discussed shipping through the Strait on Saturday, while Tehran separately briefed India on its proposals for establishing a safer maritime route. (Iranian Foreign Ministry; Tasnim)

The diplomatic push comes as both sides remain far apart over the sequence of negotiations. Iran wants the blockade, sanctions and fighting addressed before the Strait is reopened and nuclear discussions resume, while Washington has continued to link any wider settlement to Iran's nuclear programme and other security demands. (Al Jazeera; Reuters)

For now, the proposed seven-day timetable remains conditional. Iran says the Strait can be reopened if its conditions are accepted, while reports of a US rejection have left the proposal's future uncertain and the strategic waterway at the centre of the continuing confrontation. (Reuters; Associated Press) (ABC News)