US Envoy to NATO: Trump Was Right to Reject Iran’s 7-Day Hormuz Plan

United States Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said President Donald Trump was entirely right to reject Iran’s 7-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Al Jazeera reports in its live updates on the conflict.

Whitaker suggested that, since Trump has been so successful with the naval blockade and sanctions against Iran, there would be no reason for a pause in the pressure campaign. According to him, Iran offered only “half-measures” or “illusory deals” to look good on the world stage.

The US envoy also responded to public concerns about high oil and fuel prices: when the wars are resolved “to the advantage of the United States,” energy costs will fall, he said.

Whitaker’s statement comes a day after Trump rejected the Iranian proposal, which foresaw halting the war for seven days and reopening the strait on the seventh day, in exchange for the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and the end of the US naval blockade. Tehran insists it will not back down from its terms, while Washington has yet to convey its official response through mediators.