AMMAN — Iran on Monday described its latest proposal to end the conflict with the United States and reopen the Strait of Hormuz as a “responsible and generous offer”, amid rising tensions over Gulf security and regional stability.

 

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s proposal focuses on ending the war, lifting what he described as the American blockade and restoring safe maritime navigation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

 

“Our demand is legitimate: ending the war, lifting the American blockade and piracy, and releasing Iranian assets frozen under US pressure,” Baghaei said.

 

He added that ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and stabilising the region and Lebanon were also among Tehran’s main demands.

 

The remarks came after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s response, which was delivered through Pakistani mediation, to a US proposal aimed at ending the regional conflict.

 

“I read the response from the so-called representatives of Iran. I did not like it. It is completely unacceptable,” Trump wrote on Truth Social late Sunday.

 

Iranian media said Tehran’s response centred on ending the war, maritime security in the Gulf and the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

 

According to reports cited by The Wall Street Journal, the proposal did not meet key US demands regarding Iran’s nuclear programme and stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

 

The report said Tehran proposed reducing enrichment levels for part of its uranium stockpile and transferring the remaining quantities to a third country.

 

It also included a proposal to suspend uranium enrichment for less than 20 years.

 

Iran reportedly linked the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to ending hostilities and lifting restrictions imposed on Iranian ports and shipping.

 

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically sensitive waterways, carrying a major share of global oil and gas exports.

 

Oil prices rose sharply early Monday following Trump’s rejection of Tehran’s response, reflecting growing market concerns over the stability of Gulf shipping routes.

 

Political analyst Amer Sabaileh said Iran still believes there is room for manoeuvre in negotiations with Washington.

 

“Iran feels there is space for negotiations, while President Trump appears interested in securing an agreement without returning directly to military action,” he noted.

 

Sabaileh warned that regional developments suggest military pressure may again become part of efforts to push Tehran back to negotiations.

 

“We may be reaching a point where some believe Iran can only be dealt with through renewed military strikes and then brought back to negotiations,” he warned.

 

He added that recent Israeli movements, alongside Trump’s growing dissatisfaction with the negotiations, indicate increasing pressure on Iran to offer broader concessions.

 

“This intersects with what Israel wants in terms of weakening the Iranian system through further strikes and waves of assassinations inside Iran,” he said.

 

Political science professor Areej Jabr said the issue of protecting maritime navigation has evolved beyond a purely security-related mission into a broader geopolitical tool for reshaping regional influence.

 

“Major powers, particularly the United States, are not acting solely under the banner of protecting global trade,” she argued. “They are also seeking to control energy routes, supply lines and strategic maritime corridors.”

 

Jabr said the growing military deployments around the Gulf, the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz reflect attempts to reinforce long-term influence and prevent rival powers from gaining strategic leverage.

 

“What we are witnessing goes beyond maritime security,” she warned. “There is clear militarisation and mobilisation under the justification of protecting navigation, while the region is being pushed closer to a renewed state of confrontation.