Mediators push Iran-US deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Mediators are still working with Iran and the US on a potential deal to end the fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with indirect talks expected to resume Monday as the war enters its eighth month. Despite President Donald Trump's public rejection of Tehran's latest proposal, US officials have not officially dismissed it, possibly as a negotiating tactic. The draft deal includes reopening the strait, lifting the US blockade, and removing sanctions, while the US seeks Iranian concessions on its nuclear programme. Iran's proposal offers a faster seven-day timeline, which Tehran pitches as benefiting Trump in the midterm elections. Both sides face economic strain, with Brent crude above USD 108, and a new front has emerged with Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.