US, Iran may return to table within days over Hormuz

• Trump claims negotiators to engage Iranians this week, says he turned down an earlier proposal • Araghchi says Iran ready to open strait if ceasefire deal revived, frozen assets released • Pentagon denies IRGC claims of capturing US submarine drone in Strait of Hormuz; Guards warn Washington against staging fresh attacks WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: The Uni­ted States and Iran are expected to hold talks this week, said President Donald Trump after he rejected a proposal by Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cessation of all hostilities in the Middle East and a return to the conditions in the ceasefire deal that fell apart a few months ago. President Trump told Axios that his negotiators would engage their Iranian counterpart over the next few days apparently to break the stalemate over Hormuz. Iran announced a peace proposal last week at the UN General Assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americans via Qatari mediators. It called for a cessation of all hostilities in the Middle East, including in Lebanon, and a return to the conditions in the ceasefire deal that fell apart a few months ago. That agreement called for the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran has never closed the door to diplomacy but it would not capitulate. “Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” Mr Araghchi posted on social media. “Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock.” ‘Demanding too much’ President Trump, however, said Iranians were losing badly, which was the reason they wanted to make a deal to open the strait. “They want to make a deal and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal too.” His ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, accused Tehran of demanding too much in exchange for a return to the negotiating table. “This was, I think, a pretty cy