Iran denies Strait of Hormuz deal offer as US threats continue

Iran has dismissed reports that it offered the United States a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz through Pakistani mediators, calling the claims a fabrication while maintaining that direct negotiations with Washington remain pointless until its seven core conditions are accepted.

The denial, published by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency and state broadcaster Press TV, followed reports from a Saudi media outlet asserting that Tehran had proposed reopening the vital shipping lane in exchange for the lifting of a US naval blockade. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously stated in Baghdad that Iran’s original seven-day reopening proposal remains on the table, awaiting a genuine response from Washington.

Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran on Sunday in an effort to defuse the growing crisis in coordination with American officials. However, Abbas Gouzardi, spokesman for the speaker of Iran’s parliament, told the ISNA news agency that negotiations would serve no purpose until Tehran’s demands were fully satisfied, characterising recent American military warnings as empty posture.

US President Donald Trump stated that a choice between a diplomatic deal and resumed military action was imminent, suggesting strikes could resume following the 3 November midterm elections. Trump warned supporters at a rally in Florida that Washington could launch "another little Epic Fury" if diplomatic talks stall, while moving a third aircraft carrier group into the Persian Gulf.

Key diplomatic positions on the Strait of Hormuz

Escalating military standoff in the Persian Gulf

Military friction around the waterway continues to worsen. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy asserted that it retains complete control over the Strait of Hormuz, reporting that two supertankers carrying a combined 4.5 million barrels of crude oil struck naval mines while navigating an unauthorised southern route.

Meanwhile, Major General Ali Abdollahi, chief of the general staff of Iran’s armed forces, warned that Tehran would prevent US naval vessels from entering the Persian Gulf under any circumstances. Challenging Washington’s claims that Iranian nuclear capability has been dismantled, Abdollahi questioned why US officials continue to express concern over facilities they claim were already destroyed.