Trump Rejects Iran Ceasefire, Plans More Bombing After Midterms

According to the report, which cited US officials, Trump has told aides that he expects to resume bombing Iran after the November midterm elections. This follows his threat against Iran during his address to the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week.

“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world. Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? But I believe we'll make a deal right after the election, because it doesn't make sense for them not to,” Trump told the Assembly on September 22.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi said that Iran had offered a seven-day plan to end the conflict in West Asia. The proposal also seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, followed by comprehensive talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations General Assembly, Araghchi said the proposal was similar to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached between the US and Iran in June this year.

“We have introduced a plan to the United States through the intermediators that if certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz would be open on the end of the seventh day and talks would restart... it would be better, if a deal was reached before the U.S. midterm elections,” he said.

During his meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Araghchi stressed that Iran had conveyed its conditions and requirements to the US for advancing diplomatic efforts.

He emphasised that restoring regional security required an end to what he described as US interventionist and aggressive actions against Iran.

The Iranian foreign minister also reiterated Tehran’s commitment to diplomacy concerning its nuclear programme, which it maintains is peaceful. He stressed that Iran’s stated willingness to negotiate should be recognised, while accusing the US and Israel of military aggression against Iran during negotiations.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Fox News, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed Trump and the US for the failure to implement a negotiated settlement reached by the two sides in June this year.

“We did reach an agreement with your president, that agreement was signed, and based on that, we are willing and still wish to move forward. And the framework was agreed upon. We had not closed the Strait of Hormuz; it was open, without any legal justification or framework... They attacked us. They assassinated and martyred our esteemed supreme leader; our scientists are military commanders and government. The problem is that America, instead of conducting dialogue, they descend into the arena by bombing us first, by blocking every pathway. We are ready,” he told Fox News.

With Trump reportedly rejecting Iran’s peace proposal, tensions in West Asia could intensify further after the US midterm elections in November.