Trump rejects Iran's week-long ceasefire offer, eyes strikes after midterms

US President Donald Trump has turned down an Iranian proposal aimed at pausing the fighting and has told his advisers he expects American bombing of Iran to resume after the US midterm elections in November, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited US officials. Israeli outlets including Ynet, The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post relayed the report. Ynet described the offer as a week-long ceasefire in which Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz and return to nuclear negotiations, in return for the lifting of the US blockade and economic relief.

The same officials indicated that Trump is hesitant to go back to large-scale combat. The Times of Israel, summarising the Journal, reported that his thinking could still shift and might be influenced by how the midterms turn out. Ynet added that the scope of any renewed strikes has not been decided, that depleted munitions stocks are among the reasons for his reluctance, and that officials in Washington believe economic pressure will push Tehran toward compromise. As of Saturday, Iran was still waiting for a formal American reply, according to The Times of Israel.

How the proposal was delivered

According to The Times of Israel, Iran put forward the plan as part of diplomatic activity around the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and said it had been passed to the Americans through Qatari mediators. Qatar, a Gulf state, has served as a channel between parties that do not negotiate directly. The Jerusalem Post noted that Trump himself addressed the 81st session of the General Assembly on September 22, 2026. The Times of Israel also reported that Iranian officials held contacts with Saudi Arabia, their regional rival, over the strait.

What the Iranian offer reportedly contained

The fullest description of the terms came not from the Journal but from Al Mayadeen, a Lebanese television channel, as relayed by Abu Ali Express, a Hebrew-language Telegram channel. By that account, Iran sought:

• a halt to all combat for 7 days, including in Lebanon;
• the release of at least 12 billion dollars in Iranian funds frozen abroad;
• removal of the US naval blockade on Iran;
• the lifting of US sanctions on Iranian oil exports, or waivers from them.

The same list, as published, states that the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed during the 7-day period, though the text is cut off at that point.

Why the Strait of Hormuz matters

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the open sea, between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, and it is a major route for oil shipments from the Gulf. The Times of Israel called it strategic and described the current confrontation as a seven-month-old conflict spanning the wider Middle East. Iran's ability to keep the strait shut, and the US blockade of Iran, are the two pressure points that appear on both sides of the reported offer.

The midterm elections

US midterm elections are held halfway through a presidential term and decide seats in Congress. The reports tie the timing of any resumed strikes to the November vote, and The Jerusalem Post framed the story as Trump expecting the war to continue after the elections.

Where the accounts differ

The reports do not describe the Hormuz element in the same way. Ynet and The Times of Israel present the proposal as one in which Iran would reopen the strait. Abu Ali Express headlined it as a plan to open the strait within 7 days, yet the Al Mayadeen terms it quoted say the strait would remain closed during those 7 days. Ynet also mentions a return to nuclear talks, which does not appear in the Al Mayadeen list as published.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports quotes Trump or the White House directly, and no official US or Iranian statement confirming the rejection is included in the material. The US officials cited by the Journal are not named. The Al Mayadeen terms are attributed to a single outlet and have not been confirmed by either government. The reports do not say what scale of strikes is under consideration, whether Israel was consulted, or how Iran intends to respond.