US President Donald Trump’s rejection of Iran’s proposal for a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz may say less about Washington’s opposition to a deal than about its changing assessment of Tehran’s most important bargaining chip.
Iran says a negotiated settlement remains the only way out of the war and is awaiting a formal US response to its latest proposal, despite President Donald Trump saying he has rejected Tehran’s offer.
US President Donald Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping that direct or indirect assistance to Iran, including intelligence, components and military equipment, was unacceptable, US Ambassador to China David Perdue said Friday.
Iran threatened to disrupt regional air travel if its airlines lose access to flights and airport services, as Iraq's Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniya joined other destinations restricting Iranian connections under mounting US sanctions pressure.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are urging Washington to maintain sanctions and its naval blockade of Iran, complicating efforts to restart peace talks as attacks threaten their oil exports, The Wall Street Journal reported.
US and Iranian negotiators are exploring a phased agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran, Reuters reported Thursday, citing Iranian, regional and Western sources.
Tehran is signalling that its response to US pressure may be to widen the conflict, turning restrictions on its shipping and aviation into risks for airports and waterways stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea and potentially the Indian Ocean.
Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN that Iran would not accept the language of force. Iranians writing to Iran International had one reply: that is the only language his government uses at home. Their messages picked apart what he said, what he left out, and how he said it.
Chinese suppliers sent around 1,300 shipments of dual-use components to Iran’s defense ministry in the first half of 2026, helping sustain its weapons programs, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran and the United States remained far apart Wednesday after renewed UN talks, with Tehran demanding an end to the US blockade of its ports and Washington keeping pressure in place as oil continued moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran warned Wednesday that any renewed US attack would draw a stronger military response, even as officials from the two countries pursued a new diplomatic opening in New York that has triggered a backlash among hardliners in Tehran.
Any effort to end the Iran war faces a fundamental obstacle even after the resumption of US-Iran diplomacy in New York: apparent divisions within Tehran over who has the authority to negotiate and how far those negotiations can go.
Iran threatened to disrupt airports in neighboring countries that comply with a US campaign to ground Iranian airlines, escalating its response to new sanctions that have already begun cutting some of the country’s remaining air links.
A military adviser to Iran's supreme leader said the government has room to deal with Washington, and within hours a lawmaker and Guards-affiliated outlets condemned reported contact with it. The split surfaced as the Guards were reported to be directly engaged in Yemen.
Iran formally set out its conditions for ending the war as indirect talks with the United States intensified in New York on Tuesday, with the Strait of Hormuz and Washington’s naval blockade emerging as central points in efforts to turn renewed contacts into an agreement.
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday there was “a lot of momentum” toward a deal with Tehran after his envoys met regional mediators and Iran’s top diplomat, as contacts in New York put the Strait of Hormuz at the center of efforts to end the war.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's presence in New York this week could provide an opportunity to revive diplomacy with the United States, but the path to any direct engagement is unclear as both sides continue to mix offers of a deal with threats of further escalation.
An Iranian parliamentary committee has approved provisions allowing authorities to seize 20% of the cargo or its value from ships violating Iran’s rules for passage through the Strait of Hormuz and temporarily detain the vessels until the penalty is paid.
Iranian hardliners spent the day before President Masoud Pezeshkian left for the UN General Assembly talking publicly about nuclear weapons, leaving the treaty that restrains them, and preparing for a long war with the United States.
Iram offers to reopen Hormuz within seven days if the United States begins easing military pressure, said reports citing a senior Iranian official, as President Masoud Pezeshkian headed to New York and the military portrayed negotiations as another form of warfare.
Diplomatic efforts around the Iran war intensified in New York as Western and regional governments pushed to restore Hormuz shipping, curb Houthi attacks and lay the groundwork for renewed talks with Tehran.
Travel to and from Iran is becoming harder as major foreign airlines, including the flag carrier of Turkey, a key affordable hub for Iranians, suspend services and new US sanctions threaten remaining international routes operated by Iranian carriers.