Trump Vows to Keep Rejecting Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Proposal as Sanctions Spill Into Iraq
President Donald Trump said he is rejecting an Iranian proposal linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, calling the U.S. posture there “the greatest blockade ever” and claiming “full control” of the waterway, while protests in Basra targeted Iraq’s enforcement of U.S. aviation sanctions on Iran.
President Donald Trump says he has turned down what he describes as an Iranian proposal tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that U.S. pressure is inflicting heavy losses on Tehran and that Washington holds the upper hand at the key oil chokepoint.
In remarks released this week, Trump said Iran “wants an agreement that will allow it to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and trade, because it is taking heavy losses,” but called the proposal “unacceptable.” He described the U.S. campaign as “a great victory” and claimed the United States has “full control over the Strait of Hormuz,” characterizing the current posture as “the greatest blockade ever in military history.”
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf to global markets and carries large volumes of oil and refined products. Trump has portrayed U.S. actions there as a decisive constraint on Iran’s economy. In parallel, U.S. negotiators told their Iranian counterparts during talks on Tuesday that Tehran “does not control the Strait of Hormuz and therefore cannot make demands over its reopening,” according to a report attributed to Axios.
Iran has been seeking ways to ease pressure around the strait and its broader economy amid sanctions and restrictions on its airlines. At the same time, Iran’s top security body, quoted by state media, denied that the country is planning military moves in response to bans on Iranian flights, presenting that denial as an answer to speculation that Tehran might escalate over recent aviation measures.
The impact of U.S. pressure is visible beyond Iran’s borders. In the southern Iraqi city of Basra, protesters gathered near the airport around a grounded Iranian aircraft, denouncing their own government’s compliance with U.S. aviation sanctions. Iraq halted Iranian airline services after Washington threatened secondary sanctions on airports that continued to handle those flights. Demonstrators chanted against Prime Minister Zaidi’s government and echoed Iran‑aligned voices who describe the policy as joining a U.S. “blockade.”
For Iraqis who depend on flights to Iran for trade, medical care or religious travel, the grounding of planes under U.S. pressure means disrupted plans and lost income, even as debates over the broader confrontation between Washington and Tehran play out at a higher level.
Trump has linked his rejection of the Iranian proposal directly to the Strait of Hormuz issue. In separate comments, he said he is “rejecting their deal” and argued that Iran wants an agreement to open the waterway immediately “because they’re losing so badly.” He has also said that while he likes making deals, this particular offer “would not be acceptable.”
What will indicate whether this standoff deepens is any visible change in U.S. naval posture around Hormuz, further moves by regional governments to restrict Iranian aviation or shipping under U.S. pressure, and any shift in Iran’s stance away from official denials toward more explicit responses to the sanctions and flight bans.
Sources
- OSINT