Iran denies scheduled US negotiations after Donald Trump rejects proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Diplomatic impasse in New York

Iranian state news agency IRNA denied on 28 September 2026 that any new negotiations with the United States are scheduled, countering public statements made by US President Donald Trump. An Iranian diplomatic source at the United Nations General Assembly in New York stated that the delegation is scheduled to return to Tehran on Tuesday without conducting bilateral talks. The official indicated that Tehran had already communicated its definitive terms to Washington through Qatari mediators on 22 September. The denial follows indirect discussions held earlier during the summit between US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz

Tehran previously submitted a seven-point framework aimed at ending the conflict and restoring maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. The Iranian terms require a seven-day cessation of hostilities across all Middle Eastern fronts including Lebanon, the unfreezing of sanctioned assets, the removal of restrictions on Iranian crude exports, and the termination of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Trump formally rejected the proposal on 26 September before telling Axios on 27 September that he expected negotiators to resume discussions soon.

“They want to make a deal, but it's not the deal I want. It's something we might have agreed to a year ago. They overplayed their hand.”

Iranian posture and military warnings

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that Tehran had not received formal notification of the US rejection through Qatari intermediaries and remained firm on its baseline demands. Prior to his remarks, Trump published a map on Truth Social depicting the waterway relabelled as the Trump Strait. Araghchi stated that while Iran does not seek conflict, the country is prepared for severe military escalation if diplomacy fails.

“President Pezeshkian and I did not come to New York to sell a war. We came to forge peace. Nevertheless, Iran remains steadfast against any aggression - even if it comes to an apocalyptic war. At the same time, we are ready for real diplomacy.”

Energy market movements and regional incidents

Uncertainty surrounding the negotiations influenced international energy markets on 28 September. Brent crude futures gained $1.32, or 1.27%, to $105.64 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose $0.70, or 0.76%, to $93.11 per barrel. European natural gas futures climbed to €73 per MWh following declines in the preceding week. Middle Eastern crude exports reached 12.8 million barrels per day in September, the highest monthly rate since February 2026 according to preliminary figures from Kpler.

Brent Crude105.64

WTI Crude93.11

Brent Crude

105.64 $/bbl

WTI Crude

93.11 $/bbl

Data from the article text

Security operations continued across the region alongside the diplomatic standstill. Saudi air defence forces intercepted two ballistic missiles and two drones over the weekend, including munitions directed toward Riyadh and Khamis Mushait. Precautionary alerts sounded across Abha and Jazan near Saudi Aramco installations, while Washington evaluated potential diesel export restrictions to manage domestic fuel costs.