‘They were asking for everything up front:’ US Ambassador to UN Mike Waltz explains why Trump rejected Iran's proposal

US envoy Mike Waltz said Iran sought sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Trump to reject Tehran’s ceasefire proposal. Iran has refused to soften its demands but says it remains open to negotiations to resolve the standoff.

Days after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran's seven-day ceasefire proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, provided Washington accepts Tehran's demands, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, on Sunday (local time) explained the reason, saying that Tehran had asked for “everything up front.”

Waltz made these remarks to CNN, saying, “They were asking for everything up front. They were asking for relief from billions and billions of sanctions that are going into place as Operation Economic Fury, but also … snapback sanctions from the United Nations that have been in place for many years.”

The US ambassador further noted that the UN sanctions on Iran had been in place because Tehran “has violated, over and over again, a number of issues related to its nuclear program.” Trump has reiterated several times that the primary goal of the war against the Islamic Republic is to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon.

Trump rejects Iran's ceasefire; expects pre-midterm strikes

On 26 September (Saturday), Trump rejected Iran's proposal, claiming that the latter was losing “very badly.” Before departing the White House, he told reporters, “They made a proposal, but I rejected it,” and added, “They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly.”

The formal rejection came a day after The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported that the seven-day ceasefire proposal had been rejected, with the US President expecting renewed bombing after the midterm elections conclude on 3 November.

On Sunday, in an interview with Axios, Trump explained that the conditions Tehran had set for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz were something Washington might have agreed to a year ago, adding that the Islamic Republic had overplayed its hand. Despite rejecting the proposal, he expressed confidence that negotiations between the two sides would resume this week.

Later, in an interview with Fox News, the US President expressed confidence that the US would win the conflict with Iran “very soon.” However, he also acknowledged that fresh military strikes were “possible” ahead of the midterms. He said, “I think what's going to happen is we're going to win this war very soon, and as soon as we win it, the oil will go down, way down to what it was before the war.”

Elaborating further, Trump reiterated the core focus of US policy, saying, “And the key is, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Iran refuses to soften demands, backs diplomacy

After Trump rejected the ceasefire proposal, Iran made it clear that it would not change the conditions set for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iranian officials have voiced support for negotiations and diplomacy. Over the weekend, Iran's IRIB quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying, “The US president has made some good remarks as well as many contradictory ones, which unfortunately we hear from him frequently.” He added that only a “negotiated solution” could help end the impasse over the global energy bottleneck.

In an interview with NBC News, Araghchi said that while there was always room for negotiations, “we have no reason to come back to diplomacy and engage with this administration once again.”

The focus will now shift to Iran and whether negotiations will resume as Trump expects, despite his rejection of the proposal.

About the Author

Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.

^{Get Latest real-time updates}

Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news.

HomeNewsUs News‘They were asking for everything up front:’ US Ambassador to UN Mike Waltz explains why Trump rejected Iran's proposal