President Donald Trump said he rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz immediately, calling the deal unacceptable and saying the U.S. was winning. He claimed 29 ships had come out of the strait the previous night.
Trump framed the proposal as a sign Iran was losing, claiming it had no money coming in because the strait was closed and saying the U.S. had imposed a blockade. He also asserted that the U.S. had “total control” of the strait and that oil was flowing through it.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Al Jazeera that the strait could be secured only through negotiations, said Iran had no trust in Washington because of repeated U.S. attacks during talks, and said discussions were proceeding through third parties including Qatar and Pakistan. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump expects to resume bombing Iran after the November midterm elections.
