In a surprise move, Iran has submitted a new proposal to the United States, calling for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the war, while leaving the nuclear program, for now, off the table.
As President Donald Trump warns of an “explosion” within the Iranian system due to the naval blockade, Tehran’s leadership appears divided and mediators are scrambling to prevent a deadlock. Will the White House agree to give up its strongest bargaining chip, or will the conflict be pushed to the brink?
Iran’s proposal to push nuclear negotiations to a later stage carries its own significance: diplomacy is at a standstill, and the Iranian leadership is split over what nuclear concessions should be put on the table. The Iranian proposal attempts to sidestep this issue in order to reach a faster deal, according to Axios.
Trump’s Strategic Dilemma
However, lifting the blockade and ending the war would strip President Trump of the leverage he holds for future talks, specifically getting Iran to remove its stockpile of enriched uranium and persuading Tehran to suspend enrichment, both of which are primary war aims for Trump.
On Monday, Trump is expected to hold a meeting in the Situation Room on Iran with his top national security and foreign policy team, according to three American officials. One source said the Trump team will discuss the negotiating deadlock and possible next steps.
The Threat of an “Internal Explosion”
In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Trump signaled he wants to continue the naval blockade strangling Iran’s oil exports, hoping it will force Tehran to back down within the coming weeks.
Trump stated that when massive quantities of oil are flowing through a system and that line gets shut off for any reason, the line explodes from the inside — adding that the Iranians have only about three days before that happens.
Canceled Meetings and a Diplomatic Thriller
The crisis in US-Iran negotiations deepened over the weekend after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Pakistan wrapped up without progress.
The White House had announced that Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would meet Araghchi in Islamabad, but the Iranians were noncommittal. Trump told Axios that Iran’s posture led him to cancel the trip, noting he saw no point in sending them on an 18-hour flight under current circumstances when communication could be handled just as well by phone.
The Plan to Bypass the Nuclear Issue
Behind the scenes, Araghchi laid out the nuclear bypass plan during his meetings in Islamabad. According to sources, he made clear to mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar that there is no internal consensus within the Iranian leadership on how to respond to American demands.
The US wants Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for at least a decade and to remove enriched uranium from the country.
The New Iranian Proposal
The new proposal, relayed to the US through Pakistani mediators, focuses first on resolving the Strait crisis and the American blockade.
As part of the deal, the ceasefire would be extended for a significant period, or the parties would agree to a permanent end to the war. Under the proposal, nuclear negotiations would only begin at a later stage, after the Strait had been reopened and the blockade lifted.
The White House’s Position
The White House has received the proposal, but it remains unclear whether the US is willing to consider it. White House spokesperson Olivia Wiles told Axios that these are sensitive diplomatic discussions and that the US would not negotiate through the press, underscoring that the United States holds the upper hand and will only enter into a deal that puts the American people first.
