Day 105 - Friday, September 25, 2026

Let me be precise, because precision is what this war keeps being denied.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told reporters in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that Tehran has sent Washington a seven-day roadmap through mediators (Al Jazeera). In his words: "If certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz will be open at the end of seven days, and talks will be restarted" (Iran International). He says the clock starts the day after Washington accepts, and that Tehran is waiting for an answer (Iran International).

That is an offer. It is not a deal. It is not a reopened strait. Nobody has accepted anything.

The conditions, as reported by The New York Times: hostilities end on all fronts, including Gaza and Lebanon; the U.S. releases Iranian frozen assets, estimated at no less than $12 billion; oil sanctions are waived; and the naval blockade is lifted (Al Jazeera/NYT). Araghchi says this is "nothing more than what was already in the Islamabad MOU" (Iran International). That is the June memorandum, and it collapsed within weeks (Al Jazeera).

And Washington's side? An unnamed White House official told CNN the administration is having "positive and constructive discussions through the mediators." The Times quoted an official saying the U.S. would not rush into a deal (Al Jazeera). Those are U.S. claims, from officials who won't put their names to them.

One analyst told Al Jazeera that "basically nothing has really changed," and that he expects no significant movement before the midterms (Al Jazeera). Iran International reports that Trump himself has said a deal could come after November 3 (Iran International).

Think about what that means. A war gets timed around an election.

Now here is what is real today, not on anybody's clock.

On Thursday, nine commodity ships got through the Strait of Hormuz, down from 14 the day before and below a 10-day average of about 18, according to preliminary Reuters ship-tracking data (Iran International/Reuters). Oil fell Friday on reports of a phased deal, but Brent is still above $100 a barrel (CNBC).

In Delaware, AAA puts diesel at $6.4443 a gallon today and regular at $4.3521. A year ago, diesel was $3.6704. Yesterday's $6.4453 is the highest diesel price AAA has on record for our state (AAA Delaware).

I worked ICU shifts as a travel nurse, and I live near Rehoboth Beach. Diesel is what moves the trucks that stock our shelves, run our farms and haul our fishing catch. Every cent of that climb lands on working people who never voted for this war. The contractors and the oil traders didn't vote for it either. They just cash in.

So hear me clearly. I don't take Tehran's word for anything, and I don't take anonymous White House optimism for anything either. A press-gaggle roadmap does not end a war. Congress doing its job ends a war. Stop funding forever war on a blank check. Bring the war powers back to the people's representatives. Make everyone who sold us "short and limited" tell the truth about the cost.

For continuity, see our Day 102 Hormuz report.

This campaign is funded by people. No Super PAC. No war money. Ever.

November 3 - write TRAVIS JACK STEVENS - travisjackstevens.com