Iran Denies New Hormuz Offer to US Through Pakistan Mediator, Calls Al Arabiya Report 'Lie and Fabrication'

Iran has denied reports that it offered the United States a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the US naval blockade, insisting it has submitted no new proposal to Pakistani mediators and that its existing seven-day plan was already conveyed to Washington.

Main News Report

Press TV reported that an informed source, speaking to the Tasnim news agency on Saturday, rejected claims by the Saudi outlet Al Arabiya that Tehran had presented a new offer to the US administration through Pakistan. The source described the reports as “a lie and fabrication”.

“Iran does not accept any arrangement based on the equation of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the blockade,” the source said, adding that Tehran was circumventing the restrictions through its own means and would ultimately break them. Al Mayadeen reported the same denial, noting that the source said Iran’s firm position was defined by seven conditions officially conveyed through mediators, and that other media speculation should be dismissed.

The denial was carried widely on Sunday morning by ANI, which reported that Iran had made no new proposal to Pakistani mediators and rejected the reported offer to Washington on reopening the Strait in exchange for lifting the blockade.

The key points of the denial:

• No new proposal has been submitted to the Pakistani mediator
• The reported “Hormuz for blockade” offer is denied as a fabrication
• Iran’s seven-day plan, with its conditions for reopening the Strait, was already conveyed to the US through mediators
• Tehran says the insecurity in the Strait will persist until its demands are met, including the removal of disruptions to Iranian ports and shipping

Background Context

The row turns on an offer that has been on the table for a week. On 18 October, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian media in Baghdad that Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days was still on the table, saying the US had shared comments that Tehran was reviewing. That is the plan the informed source now says was already transferred to the American side through mediators — not a fresh proposal.

Pakistan’s mediation role is central to the story. PakInsight Hub reported that US and Iranian envoys converged on Islamabad in the week of 21 October, and Field Marshal Asim Munir met senior Iranian leaders in Tehran on 20 October. Press TV noted that recent high-level visits by Pakistani officials, including Field Marshal Munir, have formed part of the continued mediation efforts.

The dispute comes after a week of escalating shipping incidents in the Strait. PakInsight Hub reported that Iran claimed seven tankers were struck in the Strait in a single day, and the IRGC said on Saturday that it maintained full control of the waterway, with security for vessels operating in line with Iranian regulations. Press TV also recalled the Islamabad memorandum of understanding reached in June, which had called for an end to hostilities, the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, the restoration of commercial traffic through the Strait and subsequent negotiations.

Reactions and Statements

Tehran’s message was blunt. The informed source said the whole world knew the cause of insecurity in the Strait was what it called the aggressive and interventionist actions of the United States, and that stopping those actions was a common demand of countries in the region and the world. Iranian armed forces chief Major General Ali Abdollahi was reported by Press TV as saying US military vessels would not be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf under any circumstances.

Washington has kept both options open. ANI reported that US President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran remained possible but refused to rule out further military action, insisting any agreement must permanently prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. PakInsight Hub reported that Mr Trump had earlier warned of another “Epic Fury” strike if Tehran did not agree to a deal. PakInsight Hub also reported that US intelligence warned Iranian plots against US personnel had reached “advanced stages”, as Washington updated travel advisories for 13 countries.

Why This News Matters

For Pakistan, the denial matters twice over. First, it puts the record straight on Pakistan’s own mediation: Islamabad is the channel through which the seven-day plan was conveyed, and the denial says no new Pakistani-mediated proposal exists beyond it. Any confusion about what Pakistan has or has not carried to Washington affects the credibility of a mediation Pakistan has invested heavily in.

Second, the Strait is Pakistan’s energy lifeline. PakInsight Hub reported that Brent crude hit a six-month high of $116.72 a barrel on Friday as Houthi strikes rattled the region. As long as the Strait remains contested and the blockade dispute unresolved, Pakistani households face continued pressure on fuel prices, imports and the rupee — the same pressures behind the diesel and petrol price moves of the past week.

Future Developments

All eyes now turn to Washington’s response to the seven-day plan that Tehran says is already in its hands, and to whether the US treats the denial as closing the door on a new formula or as a negotiating position. Al Jazeera’s live coverage reported that Mr Trump was considering a possible military strike against Iran as early as Sunday, or a major deal with Tehran — a timetable that makes the next 24 hours decisive.

PakInsight Hub will continue to follow the mediation, any US response, shipping movements through the Strait and the knock-on effects for Pakistan’s fuel prices.

Sources

• Press TV — “Iran presented no new proposals to Pakistani mediator on Hormuz: Report” (24 October 2026)
• Al Mayadeen English — “Iran denies offering opening Hormuz for US lifting naval blockade” (24 October 2026)
• ANI via LatestLY — “No offer made to US, no proposal sent to Pakistan mediator on Strait of Hormuz reopening” (25 October 2026)
• Al Jazeera — “Iran war live: Trump hints at possible Sunday Iran attack or deal reached” (25 October 2026)

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