The blockade, meant to pressure Iran over its attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, remains central to the standoff. His comments echoed remarks President Trump made Saturday about the same rejected proposal.
According to Waltz, Iranian officials wanted billions of dollars in sanctions lifted with a promise that they would then talk, a sequence the Trump administration refused to accept. He gave no indication that talks were ongoing or likely to resume soon.
For people watching the conflict from outside, the standoff means the war grinds on with no clear diplomatic path forward. The sanctions tied to the blockade stay in place, the pressure campaign on Iran continues, and any resolution depends on which side blinks first on the order of concessions. Waltz's framing puts the blame squarely on Iran's negotiating posture rather than any breakdown on the US side.
Neither side has said what happens next if the current standoff holds.