Washington, 28 September (H.S.): US President Donald Trump said Sunday that talks with Iran could resume in the coming week, despite rejecting Tehran's proposal for a seven-day truce followed by the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials presented the proposal during the UN General Assembly in New York. Trump rejected the plan, saying Tehran was seeking an agreement different from what Washington was prepared to accept. He also indicated that the United States could resume full-scale air strikes against Iranian targets.

According to the report, indirect talks between Washington and Tehran could begin as early as Monday. Iran, however, continued to insist that its conditions must be met before the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened, leaving the issue at the centre of the standoff between the two sides.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran's proposal called for an end to hostilities across the Middle East, including Lebanon, and a return to conditions contained in an earlier ceasefire arrangement. The earlier agreement included the release of frozen Iranian assets, lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade.

Our conditions are clear, Araghchi said, adding that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would depend on those conditions being fulfilled. He said Iran had not closed the door to diplomacy but would not give up what it considers its rights.

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, accused Iran of seeking major concessions in return for resuming negotiations. He said Washington was not prepared to accept the conditions put forward by Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had seized an American submersible drone in the Strait of Hormuz. The force alleged that the underwater vehicle was being used for espionage and said it was being examined by its specialists.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a key route for global energy supplies and has become a major point of contention in the conflict between Washington and Tehran. Iran's Revolutionary Guards also reiterated that hostilities would not cease until Tehran's stated conditions were met.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar