Why Trump rejected Iran's seven-day Hormuz proposal: Analysis
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Ross Harrison, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of Decoding Iran's Foreign Policy, says Iran likely expected President Donald Trump to reject its seven-day proposal, since it largely repackages the framework agreed by Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in a June memorandum of understanding that Washington later tried to undermine.
Harrison says Iran's goal was less about winning US approval than showing its own public, and the American public, a willingness to negotiate. He sees a possible concession in language suggesting the Strait of Hormuz could reopen without ships needing to coordinate with Tehran, a key sticking point that helped collapse the original deal, but says Iran is also working to secure a post-war toll structure with Gulf Arab states.
The US, Harrison says, believes it got a bad deal in June and is betting economic pressure will pay off given time, with Trump's aides reportedly signalling a status quo until after the US midterm elections, followed possibly by military action against Iran.
Video Summary
AI GeneratedRoss Harrison discusses Iran's recent diplomatic proposal to the U.S., arguing that Tehran expected a rejection. He explains that the proposal was a repackaged version of a previous Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to signal flexibility to domestic and international audiences while testing U.S. resolve and leverage regarding the Strait of Hormuz.