Iran Offers to Reopen Hormuz, Delay Nuclear Talks
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- Iran gave the U.S. a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, with nuclear negotiations postponed to a later stage, delivered via Pakistani mediators according to a U.S. official and two sources with knowledge.
- Araghchi told Pakistani, Egyptian, Turkish, and Qatari mediators there's no consensus inside Iranian leadership on addressing U.S. nuclear demands — suspending enrichment for at least a decade and removing Iran's enriched uranium from the country.
- The proposal would extend the ceasefire for a long period or end the war permanently, with nuclear talks only beginning after the strait reopened and the U.S. naval blockade lifted.
- Trump told Fox News he wants to maintain the naval blockade, saying Iran has "only about three days" before its oil system "explodes from within," and is expected to convene a Situation Room meeting Monday with his top national security team.
- Trump cancelled envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner's planned 18-hour trip to Islamabad after the Iranian position stalled, saying the U.S. would negotiate by phone rather than travel.
- Accepting Iran's offer would strip Trump of leverage to achieve his two stated primary war objectives — removing Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and convincing Tehran to suspend enrichment.
- Araghchi was expected to travel to Moscow Monday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin after Sunday talks with Omani officials in Muscat focused on the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters: The proposal forces a direct trade-off: a quick end to the war and reopened oil route versus keeping the blockade as leverage for nuclear concessions. With Trump saying Iran has days before its oil system 'explodes from within,' Monday's Situation Room meeting will determine whether the U.S. accepts the sequencing or maintains pressure.
