Iran Warns of Doomsday War After Trump Rejects $12 Billion Hormuz Peace Deal

Q: If backchannel talks are still alive, what is the one compromise both Washington and Tehran still refuse to make?

The core compromise neither side will make is on sequencing tied to leverage: Washington wants Iran to address its nuclear program before getting major relief, while Tehran wants major relief before it puts the nuclear file on the table. That dispute shows up in two connected issues. The U.S. refuses to grant upfront sanctions relief, lift the naval blockade, unfreeze billions in assets, or accept any arrangement that appears to formalize Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz without concrete nuclear concessions. U.S. officials have said any deal must include progress on the nuclear issue and have rejected Iran’s demand for “everything up front.” Iran, for its part, refuses to reopen Hormuz unconditionally or move directly into broader nuclear negotiations while pressure remains in place. Tehran has insisted that sanctions easing, release of frozen funds, and an end to the blockade must come first, along with assurances against renewed strikes. It also wants to preserve at least some practical leverage in Hormuz rather than return the waterway to the prewar status quo. So even if backchannel contacts continue through Qatar, Oman and others, the unresolved question is not whether they are talking. It is who blinks first: the U.S. on sanctions and pressure, or Iran on nuclear concessions and control of Hormuz.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 29

Abbas Araghchi said Iran is "fully prepared" for fighting to resume after Donald Trump rejected Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The plan would have reopened Hormuz in exchange for lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, easing oil sanctions, releasing about $12 billion in frozen assets and securing a regional ceasefire.
Trump dismissed the offer as unacceptable, saying Iran was seeking terms because it was "losing so badly," though he still said he wanted a deal.
The clash underscores how far apart the sides remain despite reported three-hour talks between U.S. and Iranian officials on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly and a June memorandum that later collapsed.
With U.S. midterm elections approaching, Trump's threat at the U.N. to "annihilate" Iran and Tehran's insistence that it is negotiating from strength point to a harder path to any settlement.