Iran Pitches Hormuz Deal to U.S.

(MENAFN) Tehran has put forward a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bring hostilities to a close while deferring nuclear negotiations to a later phase — a plan quietly transmitted to Washington through diplomatic back-channels, including Pakistan, media reported Sunday.

According to sources cited by the outlet, the initiative is designed to circumvent the deeply entrenched impasse over uranium enrichment, prioritizing a swifter agreement centered on lifting the naval blockade and restoring the free flow of maritime traffic through one of the world's most critical oil shipping lanes.

The framework envisions an extended or permanent ceasefire taking effect first, with nuclear discussions commencing only once the strait is fully reopened and existing restrictions have been removed.

A US official and individuals with direct knowledge of the talks confirmed that the White House has received the proposal — though no indication has been given as to whether the administration intends to act on it. President Donald Trump is expected to convene a Situation Room meeting Monday with top national security advisers to assess the deadlock and weigh potential paths forward.

Trump has signaled a preference for sustaining the naval blockade on Iranian ports as a tool of maximum pressure on Tehran.

"When you have vast amounts of oil…if this line is closed…that line explodes from within," he said, warning that Iran may have only "about three days" before succumbing to severe internal strain.

Diplomatic activity intensified markedly over the weekend, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conducting back-to-back engagements in Islamabad, Pakistan and Muscat, Oman, both centered on the strait dispute. By early Monday, Araghchi had touched down in Saint Petersburg, Russia, for high-level consultations with President Vladimir Putin and senior Kremlin officials.

From the American side, the White House struck a cautious tone.

"These are sensitive diplomatic discussions…The United States holds the cards," said White House spokesperson Olivia Wales.

The two sides last met face-to-face in Islamabad on April 11–12, where talks concluded without a breakthrough. Those negotiations followed a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire that took effect April 8 and was subsequently extended by Trump. While groundwork for a fresh round of dialogue is reportedly underway, core sticking points — the status of the Strait of Hormuz, the US port blockade, and Iran's insistence on its right to enrich uranium — remain unresolved.

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