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Tehran is divided over what concessions could be made to the US regarding the Iranian nuclear program...
Iran has presented a new proposal to the United States to open the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, with negotiations over its nuclear program postponed to a later stage, according to a US official and two sources familiar with the matter, cited by the website Axios.
Diplomatic negotiations are at a standstill and the Iranian leadership is said to be divided over what concessions it can make regarding its nuclear program. The Iranian proposal aims to sidestep that problem and move forward with the deal with the US.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the plan to sidestep the nuclear issue during his meetings in Islamabad, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
One source said Araghchi made it clear to mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar over the weekend that there was no consensus within the Iranian leadership on how to deal with U.S. demands. The U.S. wants Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for at least a decade and remove enriched uranium from the country.
The new proposal, presented to the US through Pakistani mediators, focuses first on resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis and the US blockade. The proposed agreement foresees that the ceasefire will be extended for a long period of time or the parties will agree to a permanent end to the war.
Under the proposal, nuclear negotiations would only begin at a later stage, after the Straits are opened and the blockade lifted. The White House has received the proposal, but it is not clear whether the US is willing to consider it.
"These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the United States will not negotiate through the press. As the president has stated, the United States has the cards and will only reach an agreement if it puts the American people first, never allowing Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," White House spokeswoman Olivia Wells told Axios.
However, lifting the blockade of the Strait and ending the war would deprive Donald Trump of the advantage in any future talks to remove Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium and convince Tehran to suspend enrichment, two key goals of the war for Trump.
According to three US officials, Trump is expected to hold a meeting on Iran with his top national security and foreign policy team in the White House Operations Room on Monday.
A source said Trump's team would discuss the deadlock in negotiations and next steps. Trump suggested in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that he wants US forces to continue the naval blockade that has choked off Iran's oil exports, hoping that will force Tehran to back down in the coming weeks.
"When you have large amounts of oil flowing into your system... if for some reason that line gets shut down because you can't load it into containers or ships... what happens is the leak explodes from the inside.... They say they only have about three days before that happens," Trump said.
The crisis in negotiations between the US and Iran worsened over the weekend after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's visit to Pakistan ended without any progress.
The White House had announced that Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would meet with Araghchi in Islamabad, but the Iranians were not ready. Trump told Axios that the Iranian stance prompted him to cancel the trip.
"I don't see any reason to send them on an 18-hour flight in the current situation. It's too long. We can do it just as well by phone. The Iranians can call us if they want. We're not going to travel just to sit there," Trump said.
On Sunday, Araghchi held talks with Omani officials in Muscat, which focused on the Strait of Hormuz, before returning to Islamabad for a second round of talks.
On Monday, the Iranian foreign minister will travel to Moscow and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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