President Trump rejected a proposal from Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and end regional conflicts, according to remarks made at the White House on Saturday. The proposal was transmitted through Qatari mediators during the UN General Assembly and would have allowed for the reopening of the strategic waterway within seven days if accepted by the U.S., which currently has an economic blockade on Iran. Despite Trump's skepticism about Iran’s willingness to meet his demands, a senior Iranian official stated that Iran would not compromise on its nuclear program or related rights even in negotiations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Xi pressed Trump to adopt Beijing's stance against Taiwan independence, which Taiwan rejected outright. Meanwhile, Taiwan is crucial for global tech and economy due to its leading semiconductor production; TSMC alone produces the majority of advanced chips that power smartphones, AI systems, and more. As Stanford Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann noted, economic disruption from a conflict over Taiwan would be severe.
In unrelated developments, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with US media at the UN General Assembly, where he denied Iran's nuclear ambitions while offering to dilute its enriched uranium and allow inspections under international law. He also blamed Washington for ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that Iran has over 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, raising concerns despite Pezeshkian's denials.
Taiwan's representative, Ambassador Alexander Yui, clarified during an interview on CBS’s "Face the Nation" that while Taiwan was discussed between Trump and Xi, it wasn't a major focus. He emphasized there has been no change in US policy towards Taiwan amid recent tensions with China.
Written for “Taiwan Iran Us Relations Midterms” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 386 other(s) covering the same event.
Trump rejects Iranian proposal to open Strait of Hormuz and end fighting
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Trump → reject → fighting
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran would show no flexibility over its nuclear program
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East.
Iran raised the initiative at the UN General Assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americans via Qatari mediators and that it could reopen the strategic waterway and put an end to hostilities in the region within seven days.
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it → tell → days
But in comments to reporters at the White House, Trump said: "I reject their proposal....
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I → say → proposal
I rejected their deal.
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I → reject → deal
"They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they're losing so badly," he said before leaving for Tennessee.
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he → want → Tennessee
"We're winning tremendously."
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We → win → ?
"They want to make a deal and I think that's fine, I like making a deal, too.
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I → want → deal
What they want to do is immediately open the Hormuz Strait ... because they have no money coming in, because they get their money from the Hormuz Strait," Trump said.
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Trump → want → Strait
The U.S. has imposed an economic blockade on Iran to put pressure on Tehran to lift its blockade, which has drastically reduced shipping through the strait, even though Trump again asserted that the U.S. had control of the waterway.
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U.S. → impose → waterway
The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump had rejected the Iranian proposal, citing unnamed U.S. officials.
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Trump → report → officials
It said Trump was privately skeptical that Iran would meet his demands and had told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the November U.S. midterm elections.
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he → say → elections
A U.S. official had said earlier that discussions with Iran through mediators were "positive and constructive."
Conflict has disrupted oil flows, harmed global economy
The Iranians also engaged their Saudi rivals regarding the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the stakes of a seven-month-old conflict that has disrupted oil flows through a critical shipping lane and taken a toll on the global economy.
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that → say → economy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters at the United Nations on Friday the proposed deal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and a pause in regional fighting.
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deal → tell → fighting
"If there is seriousness on the U.S. side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared," Araghchi said.
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Araghchi → be → Hormuz
If the U.S. were to agree, the warring parties could start wider talks "on mutually agreed subjects."
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parties → agree → subjects
That could potentially include discussions of Iran's nuclear program.
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That → include → program
Trump has said Tehran must never acquire a nuclear bomb, while a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran would show no flexibility over its nuclear program even if the U.S. accepted its peace deal.
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U.S. → say → deal
Iran would grant no concessions over its rights, including enriching uranium or shipping its highly enriched uranium out of the country, the official said.
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official → grant → country
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an interview with the CBS show Face the Nation, said Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear program and other issues but would not accept "bullying or coercion."
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Tehran → say → bullying
"Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks,” Pezeshkian said, adding that it had already agreed that "we're not supposed to develop nuclear weapons."
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we → seek → weapons
Previous attempts at diplomacy have failed to end the war, which began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks.
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which → fail → attacks
Since then, the war has alternated between pauses and renewed strikes, killing thousands while degrading Iran's conventional forces and damaging Iran's already ailing economy.
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war → alternate → economy
Iran and its allies have retaliated by extending the conflict throughout the region.
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Iran → retaliate → region
Iran has struck U.S. allies in the Gulf with drones and missiles while its Houthi allies in Yemen have targeted Saudi interests.
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allies → strike → interests
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