U.S.-Iran negotiations to reopen Strait of Hormuz stall, tensions rise in Middle East

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kwak Min-seo = The leaders of the parties involved in the Middle East war gathered at the United Nations General Assembly held in New York, but a diplomatic solution surrounding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is hardly finding momentum.

Both the United States and Iran attempted indirect talks through a mediation country, but were unable to narrow the parallel lines by sticking to a hard-line confrontation over the issues of Iran's nuclear weapons and economic sanctions.

According to the US daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 25th (local time), US President Donald Trump reportedly rejected the '7-day plan' proposed by Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

According to reports, U.S. officials said that President Trump is skeptical of the ceasefire proposed by Iran and has left open the possibility that bombings against Iran will resume after the U.S. midterm elections in November.

Prior to this, Iran announced at the United Nations General Assembly held in New York, USA that it would cease hostilities within seven days and resume passage through the Strait of Hormuz if certain conditions are met.

Specifically, Iran reportedly requested the United States to lift the maritime blockade against Iran, lift frozen funds, and exempt crude oil sanctions, while also proposing a plan to stop hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York that day and said, "Iran delivered a detailed 7-day plan to the United States through Qatar," and added, "Now the choice is up to the United States."

“There are certain steps the United States must take. We believe these steps can be taken within four to five days,” Araghci said, adding, “So on the sixth day we will open the strait, and on the seventh day, dialogue with the United States will finally begin on mutually agreed upon topics.”

Iran can also open the Strait of Hormuz and engage in additional negotiations, provided the United States fulfills its demands first.

However, Iran is not giving up its hard-line stance on the nuclear issue.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters today that even if the United States accepts his country's peace plan, there will be no flexibility regarding its nuclear program.

The intention is that concessions cannot be made regarding uranium enrichment rights or the export of highly enriched uranium (HEU) overseas.

On the other hand, the United States adheres to the principle that Iran's denuclearization comes first and is demanding tangible results on the nuclear issue.

On the other side of the world, in the Middle East, the pro-Iranian 'Axis of Resistance' camp is not slowing down its military tensions.

Yemen's Saudi Arabia-led coalition announced that it intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones launched by Houthi rebels toward Saudi Arabia in the early morning of the 26th.

The coalition said on X (old Twitter) that the missiles and drones were targeting Khamis Mushait and the capital Riyadh, respectively.

In response, Saudi Arabia began discussions on a joint response with Turkiye and Pakistan.

According to Reuters, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan held a meeting within the framework of the 'Mecca Joint Defense Agreement' on the 25th and condemned Saudi Arabia's attacks targeting the Islamic holy site of Mecca.

On the same day, Saudi Arabian, Turkic, and Pakistani defense officials also met in Riyadh to review the security situation in the region and discuss ways to cooperate, the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have recently taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the entrance to the Red Sea, and are squeezing Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter.

With most passage through the Strait of Hormuz blocked and the Red Sea route, an alternative route, also under threat, uncertainty over international oil prices is growing again.