Iran, through Pakistani mediators, has presented the United States with a new proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the ongoing conflict while postponing nuclear negotiations until a later stage, Axios reported Sunday night.
The plan would prioritize restoring oil flow through the critical waterway and potentially extending a ceasefire or reaching a broader end to hostilities.
However, the proposal could complicate U.S. objectives.
By addressing the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the U.S. naval blockade first, President Donald Trump could lose key leverage in pressing Iran to curb its nuclear program, including reducing its stockpile of enriched uranium and agreeing to suspend enrichment for years.
Those nuclear concerns remain central to U.S. strategy, whether addressed through diplomacy or military pressure.
Trump is expected to meet Monday with top national security and foreign policy advisers in the Situation Room to discuss the impasse and possible next steps, according to Axios.
One U.S. official said the meeting will focus on both the stalled negotiations and broader options in the conflict.
Trump indicated over the weekend that he intends to maintain pressure on Iran through the blockade, suggesting it could force Tehran to make concessions as its oil infrastructure faces increasing strain.
"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," Trump said in an interview with Fox News, according to Axios. "And when it explodes, you can never rebuild it the way it was ... it would only be 50% of what it is right now. So I think they are under pressure."
Tensions in the negotiations escalated after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Pakistan late last week, where talks failed to produce a breakthrough. Trump told Axios he canceled a planned trip by his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, citing a lack of progress.
"I see no point of sending them on an 18-hour flight in the current situation [of the negotiations]," Trump said. "It's too long. We can do it just as well by telephone.
"The Iranians can call us, if they want. We are not gonna travel just to sit there."
Behind the scenes, Axios reported that Araghchi worked with Pakistani and other regional mediators to craft the new proposal amid internal disagreements within Iran’s leadership over how far to go in making nuclear concessions.
According to sources, the plan would delay nuclear talks until after the Strait of Hormuz is reopened and the blockade is lifted, a sequence that may be a sticking point for Washington.
The proposal has been delivered to the White House, but it remains unclear whether the Trump administration is willing to consider it.
"These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press," White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios. "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."
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