The White House confirmed on Monday that United States (US) President Donald Trump met with his national security team to review a new Iranian proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, though early signals from Washington suggest the offer is unlikely to be accepted in its current form.
The proposal, conveyed to Washington through Pakistani mediators, focuses on resolving the crisis over the strait and the US blockade first, with nuclear negotiations postponed to a later stage. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the meeting was underway, saying the proposal was being actively discussed, while stopping short of revealing Trump’s position.
US media reports indicated Trump was dissatisfied with the offer because it defers talks on Iran’s nuclear activities, with Reuters citing an official briefed on the meeting as saying Trump wants the nuclear issue addressed from the outset of any negotiations.
The diplomatic standoff deepened over the weekend when Trump cancelled plans for his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff to travel to Pakistan for a second round of talks, writing on Truth Social that there was “too much time wasted on traveling.” He later told reporters that Iran had followed up with a “much better” offer, without disclosing its contents.
Iranian state media said the written messages conveyed through Pakistan concerned Tehran’s red lines on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz, and described the initiative as an effort to clarify the regional situation rather than formal negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday, saying Tehran remained open to engagement at the “highest level.” He said Iran was not closing any diplomatic channels.
The Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked since late February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. About 20 percent of the world’s oil and a significant share of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) normally transit the waterway. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the standoff could trigger a global food emergency, with thousands of cargo vessels stranded and tens of thousands of maritime workers unable to move through the waterway.
A temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran has been in place since April 8, mediated by Pakistan, though the two sides have continued to contest maritime access through the strait, which Iran views as its primary source of leverage.
