President Trump on Sunday turned aside an Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week and return to the negotiating table on its nuclear program, telling aides instead that he intends to resume bombing once the midterm elections are behind him. The rejection came even as Tehran floated a concrete timeline for de-escalation, raising questions among diplomats and lawmakers about why the administration chose renewed military action over a diplomatic off-ramp. Critics note that tying the resumption of strikes to the electoral calendar suggests political considerations, not battlefield necessity, are driving the decision. The move continues a pattern in which the administration has favored confrontation over the kind of sustained talks that previous administrations pursued to manage tensions with Iran. Regional analysts warn that dismissing a stated ceasefire proposal, however imperfect, risks prolonging instability in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil corridor, and could complicate efforts to keep allies aligned. The White House has not detailed what would make Iran's proposal acceptable.