Iran-US standoff deepens as Trump rejects Hormuz reopening plan

The United States military has refuted Iran’s claim that it captured an advanced US underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the assertion “clearly desperate,” Al Jazeera reports.

The dispute comes as a top Iranian general warned that the strait will remain closed until US economic pressure ends, insisting “the war is not over, we have won, but we must consolidate this victory.” President Donald Trump separately dismissed Iran’s proposed seven-day roadmap to reopen Hormuz as “unacceptable,” arguing Tehran only offered it because it was “losing so badly,” while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi maintained Tehran would not “back down” from its conditions.

Al Jazeera further reported that US envoy Mike Waltz revealed Washington had previously offered to sell Iran uranium for a civilian nuclear programme, a proposal Tehran rejected, while analyst Richard Schmierer suggested diplomacy is likely to stay stalled until after the US midterm elections, since both sides believe the political calculus will shift once voting concludes.

With Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also pointing to elevated oil prices to dispute US claims of controlling the strait, the standoff shows no clear sign of resolution as both sides continue trading conflicting narratives.