Middle East — 2026-09-28

Trump Rejects Iran Proposal to Reopen Hormuz But Expects More Talks This Week via Qatari Mediation

BLUFQatari mediation keeps talks alive, but a negotiated agreement on Hormuz reopening and blockade relief remains unlikely by late October as neither side will concede on whether nuclear or sanctions concessions come first.

President Trump told Axios in a Sunday phone interview that he expects US negotiators to hold more talks with Iran this week, a day after rejecting Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz 12. Two regional sources told Axios that indirect dialogue between the two sides could resume as early as Monday, with Qatari mediators continuing shuttle diplomacy after presenting both parties a compromise text over the weekend 1. Iran's proposal, delivered by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, sought reopening of the strait and resumed nuclear talks in exchange for lifting the US naval blockade, removing oil sanctions and reinstating a regional ceasefire 13. Araghchi told NBC that Iran has not received formal notification of the rejection through mediators and remains ready for negotiations 3. Trump separately said US forces facilitated the transit of more than 20 million barrels of oil through the strait over the weekend, the largest volume since the war began, a figure a US defense official corroborated at 22 million barrels for Friday night 1.

Analysis
A negotiated reopening of Hormuz paired with a lifted US naval blockade is unlikely before October 31, since Trump's rejection of Tehran's linked package keeps nuclear concessions as Washington's precondition while Iran continues tying reopening to sanctions relief and a regional ceasefire. Qatari shuttle diplomacy and a compromise text under review by both sides keep the channel open, but neither side has narrowed the core sequencing gap. Trump's emphasis on record oil transit through the strait over the weekend reduces his incentive to trade blockade relief for a partial deal. Moderate confidence reflects a single detailed primary account of the exchange, uncorroborated by independent reporting on the Qatari compromise text's substance.

4 sources