As the second round of peace talks stalled, Iran reportedly presented the United States with a new proposal regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the cessation of hostilities, while nuclear negotiations have been postponed for a later stage.
Iran's Proposal and Mediation
Citing US officials and two sources, Axios reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi communicated to Pakistani, Egyptian, Turkish, and Qatari mediators over the weekend that there is no consensus within the Iranian leadership on how to address US demands. The United States wants Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for at least a decade and remove its enriched uranium from the country.
The new proposal, conveyed to the US through Pakistani mediators, focuses first on resolving the crisis over the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade. As part of this, the ceasefire would be extended for a long period, or the parties would agree on a permanent end to the war.
According to the proposal, nuclear negotiations would only commence at a later stage, after the strait is reopened and the blockade is lifted.
US Response
The White House has received the proposal, but it remains unclear whether the United States is willing to explore it. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios, "These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US will not negotiate through the press. As the president has said, the United States holds the cards and will only make a deal that puts the American people first, never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
Why It Matters
Given the divided Iranian leadership on nuclear concessions, the proposal aims to bypass this stalemate and move toward a faster deal between the two countries. However, lifting the blockade and ending the war would remove US President Trump's leverage in future talks to eliminate Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and convince Tehran to suspend enrichment — two primary war objectives for Trump.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump signaled in an interview with Fox News that he wants to continue the naval blockade choking off Iran's oil exports, hoping it will pressure Tehran to cave within weeks. "When you have vast amounts of oil pouring through your system ... if for any reason this line is closed because you can't put it into containers or ships ... what happens is that line explodes from within ... they say they only have about three days before that happens," Trump said.
Upcoming Meeting
Meanwhile, Trump is scheduled to hold a Situation Room meeting on Iran on Monday with his top national security and foreign policy team, according to three US officials. One source told Axios that Trump's team would discuss the stalemate in negotiations and potential next steps.
