Trump Rejects Iran Ceasefire Proposal, Expects Strikes After Midterms

President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and told aides he expects U.S. bombing to resume after November’s midterm elections, according to U.S. officials.

Trump doubts Tehran will accept his demands on its nuclear program, the officials told The Wall Street Journal.

He has not settled on the scale of any future strikes, and his assessment could change in the coming weeks or after the election.

A Ceasefire Tied to Hormuz

Iran’s proposal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear negotiations in return for relief from U.S. economic pressure, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The terms presented to mediators include an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, access to some frozen Iranian assets and the removal of sanctions on Iranian oil exports.

Washington has told Iran and the mediators that Trump does not intend to lift the maritime embargo, officials familiar with the matter said.

Iran raised the idea of a weeklong pause at a meeting in Qatar on Sunday. Qatar and other regional mediators have since been trying to revive talks around the U.N. General Assembly.

A U.S. official said negotiations through intermediaries were continuing, including on the nuclear issue.

The official said a U.S.-led effort to keep oil tankers moving through Hormuz despite Iranian threats had reduced the urgency of reaching an agreement.

Trump Weighs Another Campaign

Trump has publicly argued that Tehran wants a deal after the midterms. Privately, he sees another round of bombing as likely because he does not expect Iran to meet his terms, U.S. officials said.

He remains reluctant to launch major combat operations, in part because Washington wants to preserve dwindling munitions for other contingencies, the officials said.

The scope of strikes under consideration remains unclear.

Addressing the U.N. this week, Trump rejected the suggestion that the election would shape his approach.

“I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence through the election when it comes to Iran,” he said.

He has also urged Republican voters to treat the midterms as though he were on the ballot.

Divisions in Tehran

Arab mediators said Iranian diplomats had put forward several proposals to end the war and acknowledged the country’s worsening economic crisis.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, however, has rejected new formulas for an agreement and signaled that it is prepared for a prolonged conflict.

It favors terms closer to a preliminary June deal that offered Iran relief on oil sales and frozen assets, as well as a role in administering Hormuz, in exchange for reopening the waterway.

U.S. officials familiar with discussions said the administration believes sustained economic pressure could eventually secure terms favorable to the U.S. and Gulf Arab states.