US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, dimming hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough. ‘They made a proposal but I rejected it,’ Trump told reporters on Saturday as he left the White House, saying Tehran wanted the deal ‘because they’re losing so badly’.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who presented the plan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Friday, said Tehran would reopen the strait within seven days if Washington halted what it called ‘acts of aggression’, ended its naval blockade, released frozen assets and lifted oil sanctions. Araghchi later said Iran was still awaiting a formal US response and would not soften its conditions.

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials, that Trump expects to resume bombing Iran after November’s midterm elections if diplomacy fails. Reuters said it could not independently confirm that report.

On the same day, the Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted Houthi drones targeting Riyadh and a ballistic missile aimed at Khamis Mushait. The war began on February 28 with US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, according to the Journal.