"Iran Proposes 'Reopen Hormuz First...Nuclear Talks Later'"

On April 26 (local time), the U.S. online media outlet Axios reported that Iran has made a new proposal to the United States: to first reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while postponing nuclear negotiations for a later date. The intention is to quickly reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, setting aside the fiercely contested nuclear negotiations, which have reached a deadlock.

Axios, citing two sources familiar with U.S. officials and the negotiation process, reported that Iran communicated this proposal to the White House through a Pakistani mediator.

Ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Iran's proposal calls for lifting both Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. counter-blockade, agreeing to a long-term ceasefire or a permanent end to hostilities, and then resuming nuclear talks.

According to one source, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed this response from Iran's leadership regarding U.S. demands on enriched uranium to the American side. However, Axios reported that while the White House has received the proposal, it remains unclear whether they are willing to consider it. If the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is lifted and the war ends, U.S. President Donald Trump could lose leverage in future negotiations with Iran.

The United States is demanding that Iran halt uranium enrichment for at least ten years and ship its enriched uranium abroad, which has served as a justification for President Trump to order airstrikes against Iran.

According to three U.S. officials, President Trump plans to meet with his top national security and foreign policy aides in the White House Situation Room on the 27th. It is expected that the meeting will address the stalemate in negotiations and discuss next steps.

In an interview with Fox News on the same day, President Trump indicated that he would not send any more negotiation teams and signaled his intention to continue the maritime blockade that is blocking Iran's oil exports.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.