The renewed diplomatic push to end the war against Iran appears to be losing momentum as the Islamic Republic dismissed the US response to its latest proposal. 

Earlier this week, Iran sent the US a proposal that would lead to the rapid reopening of the Strait of Hormuz if Washington meets several of Tehran’s demands. “America’s response to Iran’s rights and demands was not convincing, and they must fully and explicitly address Iran’s seven conditions and act upon them,” Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote on X. “Only in this case will the Strait of Hormuz be reopened.”

Qatar is currently mediating indirect talks between the US and Iran. After meeting in Qatar over the weekend, Tehran sent the proposal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in two days. Iran has seven demands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, including lifting the blockade and removing sanctions. 

Tehran has said that the US needs to return to some of its commitments under the June Memorandum of Understanding brokered by Pakistan before resuming nuclear negotiations. 

Publicly, President Donald Trump has downplayed the negotiations, saying he believes Iran is slow-walking the discussions. However, Axios reported earlier this week that he rejected a proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restart the war following Tuesday’s midterm elections because Trump wanted to allow the diplomatic process to play out.

Multiple sources, including Senator Chris Murphy, have said over the past month that the White House is developing plans for escalating the conflict with Iran. Some in the administration believe a short and intense bombing operation will force Iran to comply with Trump’s demands. 

Tehran is threatening to respond to any US or Israeli attacks by drastically escalating the conflict. Iran has warned that it will remove any geographic limits on the conflict and will target non-military infrastructure.