U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt the conflict in the Middle East. He made the remarks to reporters at the White House before departing for Tennessee.

The diplomatic initiative was raised by Iran during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Tehran stated that a message had been delivered to Washington through Qatari intermediaries, proposing to reopen the strategic waterway and end the conflict within seven days.

Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump stated, "I reject their proposal." The U.S. President added, "They want to make a deal to quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz because they are losing terribly... We are winning big."

Trump further noted, "They want to make a deal. I want to make a deal, too. What they want to do is quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz because they have no money. They get their money from the Strait of Hormuz."

Currently, a U.S. blockade is active against Iranian ports—a step taken by Washington to economically pressure Tehran.

In response, Iran has been blocking ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz without its authorization, significantly reducing maritime traffic through the vital waterway.

Despite these disruptions, Trump reiterated his claim that the United States maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz.

The news of Trump rejecting Iran's proposal was first broken by The Wall Street Journal. Citing anonymous U.S. officials, the publication reported the rejection and noted Trump's personal skepticism regarding whether Iran would fulfill his demands. He reportedly told his staff that new airstrikes on Iran could resume following the upcoming U.S. midterm elections in November.

Previously, a U.S. official had described discussions with Iran via intermediaries as "positive and constructive."