Iran awaits US move after WSJ report says Trump rejects peace plan

Iran awaited a response from the United States on Saturday concerning its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict. The Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump had rejected the deal, which could have reopened the strategic waterway and ended hostilities in the region within seven days.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi discussed the plan with Saudi counterparts, highlighting the importance of the seven-month-long conflict that had disrupted oil flows through critical shipping lanes and impacted the global economy. If the US agreed to the deal, Iran's warring parties could initiate wider talks on mutually agreed subjects, potentially including discussions about Iran's nuclear program.

However, Iran reportedly showed no flexibility regarding its nuclear program, even if the United States accepted the peace deal. Iran proposed halting hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon, and required the US to lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release frozen funds, and waive oil sanctions. Saudi Arabia and its allies reviewed the institutionalization of the Makkah defense pact, while the Saudi-backed Yemeni government faced attacks from Houthi fighters, leading to a humanitarian crisis.