Trump rejects Iran ceasefire; Araghchi pushes diplomacy — SkimNews
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- Trump rejected Iran's proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and Strait of Hormuz reopening, telling journalists "I'm rejecting their deal" while claiming the US has "total control" of the strait and that Iran is "losing so badly"
- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "there is no alternative to a negotiated solution," while warning Iran is "fully prepared for the war to be resumed" including "doomsday war" if aggression continues
- Iran's proposal is "essentially the same bargain" as the June deal but reverses the sequence—requiring the US to take concrete steps first before Iran eases Hormuz pressure, according to Center for International Policy senior fellow Sina Toossi
- Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held indirect negotiations with Araghchi on the UNGA sidelines, aided by Qatar, with US officials telling Axios that "positive and constructive" discussions continue on nuclear issues despite the public rejection
- The Wall Street Journal reported Trump told aides he expects to resume bombing Iran after the November midterms, following his UNGA address in which he threatened to "annihilate" Iran
- Trump's approval rating hit a record low with midterms less than six weeks away, as soaring diesel and gasoline prices fuel public frustration with the war's economic toll
- NIAC Action filed a federal lawsuit Thursday arguing Trump's war on Iran lacks congressional authorization and is unconstitutional, with president Jamal Abdi declaring "no president should have the power to take this country into an indefinite war by himself"
Why it matters: With Trump's approval rating at a record low and midterms under six weeks away, his refusal to take a deal that would lower gas prices hands Democrats a potent economic weapon while exposing a contradiction between his public rejection and the indirect channel his own envoys are still running through Qatar. NIAC's lawsuit puts the war's constitutionality directly into federal courts, raising the stakes for an already contentious political moment.
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