🌐 Iran and the United States: Rejected proposal and disputed negotiations: The Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and told aides he expects U.S. bombing of Iran to resume after the November midterm elections. The proposal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks in exchange for lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and easing economic pressure. Trump publicly confirmed rejecting the proposal; asked about strikes after the midterms, he reiterated that the proposed deal was unacceptable.
The sides’ reported positions remained sharply opposed. Axios said U.S. negotiators told Iran that Tehran does not control the Strait of Hormuz and therefore cannot make demands regarding its reopening. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran would make no nuclear concessions even if Washington accepted its reopening proposal, and that the strait would remain closed until Iran’s conditions were met.
Fars News Agency reported Iran’s denial of Axios and Al Jazeera reports about a new round of negotiations. An informed Iranian source called those reports false, alleged they were intended to influence markets and oil prices, and denied that Iranian technical experts were being sent to New York for talks.
🎙️ White House press access: Asked whether he wanted only supportive outlets in the White House press pool, Trump denied it, saying he supported “an open, free press” but wanted “real news, not fake news.”
🤝 Regional defense cooperation and Turkey: The military chiefs of Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia met in Riyadh under the Mecca Alliance. Turkish President Erdogan said the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement should not be viewed as an alliance against Iran, Israel or any third country, describing it as a shared commitment to regional security, peace and prosperity.
Erdogan also rejected Israeli rhetoric portraying Turkey as a new threat, linking it to Israel’s domestic politics and electoral climate. He said Turkey had no hostility toward the Israeli people or any other society, while opposing policies it considers contrary to international law and actions that deepen regional instability.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said Turkey’s S-400 supply contract and end-user certificate prohibit moving the systems outside Turkish borders without Russia’s official consent. He said Moscow had received no such request.
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