Iran on Sunday insisted that only diplomacy can solve itsconflict with the United States and Israel after US President Donald Trump saidhe rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ‌endfighting.

“Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening theStrait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” Iranian ForeignMinister Abbas Araqchi posted on social media. “Only a negotiated solution canget them out of this deadlock.”

Iran announced a peace proposal earlier this week at the UNGeneral Assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americansvia Qatari mediators. Trump on Saturday said he rejected the plan and arguedthat desperation drives the Iranians’ push for an agreement on the keywaterway.

“They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Straitimmediately because they’re losing so badly,” Trump told reporters at the WhiteHouse.

Despite ⁠Trump’s public statements,mediators facilitating US-Iran talks with the United States have not officiallyrelayed a US rejection of the plan, according to Araqchi.

“We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitiveviews to us, and we will make a decision based on them,” Araqchi posted.

The US has imposed an economic blockade on Iran to putpressure on Tehran to stop Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz,which have drastically reduced shipping through the area even as Trumprepeatedly asserts that the US controls the waterway.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump hadrejected the Iranian proposal, citing unnamed US officials.

It said Trump was privately skeptical that Iran would meethis demands and had told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign aslikely after the November US midterm elections.

A US official had said earlier that discussions with Iranthrough mediators were “positive and constructive”.

Conflict has disrupted oil flows, harmed global economy

The Iranians also engaged their Saudi rivals regarding theStrait of Hormuz, underscoring the stakes of a ‌seven-month-old conflict that ⁠hasdisrupted oil flows through a critical shipping lane and taken a toll on theglobal economy.

Araqchi told reporters at the United Nations on Friday theproposed deal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and apause in regional fighting.

“If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a dealand reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared,” Araqchi said. Ifthe US were to agree, the warring parties could start wider talks “on mutuallyagreed subjects.”

That could potentially include discussions of Iran’s nuclearprogram. Trump has said Tehran ⁠must never acquire a nuclearbomb, while a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran would show noflexibility, opens new tab over its nuclear program even if the US accepted itspeace deal.

Iran would grant no concessions over its rights, includingenriching uranium or shipping its highly enriched uranium out of the country,the official said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an interview withthe CBS show “Face the Nation”, ⁠said Tehran was ready for talkson its nuclear program and other issues, but would not accept “bullying orcoercion”.

“Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself againstpressure, threats and attacks,” Pezeshkian said, adding that it had alreadyagreed that “we’re not supposed to develop nuclear weapons”.

Previous attempts at diplomacy have failed to end the war,which ⁠began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks.

Since then the war has alternated between pauses and renewedstrikes, killing thousands while degrading Iran’s conventional forces anddamaging Iran’s already ailing economy.

Iran and its allies have retaliated by extending theconflict throughout the region. Iran has struck US allies in the Gulf withdrones and missiles while its Houthi allies in Yemen have targeted Saudiinterests.