The White House says it is waiting for Iran’s answer to a new proposal that could ease fighting and reopen one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The offer, sent Wednesday, lays out a step-by-step path: Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and the US would end its blockade on Iranian ports over the next month. President Donald Trump told reporters late Friday that he still expected a response “tonight,” even as signs of delay and uncertainty continued to build around the talks.

The core test now is simple: whether Tehran accepts a deal that links access to the Strait of Hormuz with a rollback of US pressure on Iranian ports.

Iran has not signaled whether it will accept the plan. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the proposal remained “under review,” according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, and offered no timeline. That ambiguity matters. Recent clashes in the Strait of Hormuz have already strained a ceasefire that had held for about a month, raising fresh doubts about how durable any pause in hostilities can be.

Key Facts

  • The US is awaiting Iran’s response to a proposal sent on Wednesday.
  • The plan would have Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ports over the next month.
  • Recent clashes in the Strait of Hormuz have put pressure on a month-long ceasefire.
  • Iran says the proposal is “under review” and has not provided a timeline.

The stakes stretch far beyond diplomacy. The Strait of Hormuz sits at the center of regional trade and global energy flows, so even limited clashes can rattle markets and sharpen political pressure. Reports indicate Washington wants a quick answer to prevent further slippage in the ceasefire, while Tehran appears to be keeping its options open as it weighs the terms.

What happens next will shape not just the fate of the ceasefire, but the security outlook for a critical maritime corridor. If Iran responds positively, the proposal could open a narrow path toward de-escalation. If it stalls or rejects the offer, the recent clashes may look less like an isolated flare-up and more like a warning that the truce is losing its grip.