The White House said US officials were discussing Iran’s latest proposal but maintained “red lines” on any deal to end the eight-week war, including preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that President Donald Trump convened national security officials to review the proposal. “His red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear,” she said, adding that Trump would address the matter “very soon.”
The comments followed reports that Tehran proposed an interim deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington ending its blockade of Iranian ports, while postponing more complex negotiations over the country’s nuclear program.
Foreign leaders have expressed frustration. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US was being “humiliated” by Iranian leaders and that he can’t figure out what exit the Americans are pursuing.
Separately, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, on a visit to Russia, told President Vladimir Putin that Tehran was committed to strengthening the partnership between their nations. Iran has also signaled nuclear negotiations could be deferred, Axios reported.
An interim accord would reflect views among analysts and some governments that reopening the strait should come first to ease pressure on energy markets, leaving nuclear issues for later talks.
Trump, however, has said Iran’s nuclear program must be resolved in any deal, and the blockade will remain until then to pressure Iran by choking off its oil exports.
The first liquefied natural gas shipment since the war began appears to have traversed the Strait of Hormuz to exit the Persian Gulf. The Mubaraz – which loaded a cargo in the United Arab Emirates around early March – is passing the southern tip of India, according to ship-tracking data on Tuesday.
Investors remain largely focused on a growing supply crunch created by the virtual standstill of flows through the strait. Oil held gains as market players weighed the next steps. Brent crude traded near $108 a barrel after advancing 2.8 percent on Monday.
Here’s more on the US-Iran talks:
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and his advisers were wary of the Iranian proposal, particularly regarding the country’s nuclear program. Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and longtime Trump ally, said in a post on X: “Clearly, if this offer is accurate, Iran is playing games. Mr. President, stick to your guns for the good of the nation and the world.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a Fox News interview that “if what they mean by opening the straits is, ‘yes, the straits are opened, as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission, or we will blow you up and you pay us,’ – that’s not opening the straits.”
Iranian media said Araghchi would tell mediator Pakistan the conflict could end if the US lifts its naval blockade, agrees to a new legal framework for strait traffic and guarantees no future military action.
“We must ensure the rights of the Iranian people after 40 days of resistance and secure the country’s interests,” Araghchi said, according to state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
“There is a high degree of alignment between Iran and Oman” on the future of the strait, Araghchi said, according to IRNA.
Iran has previously said it wants to toll traffic moving through Hormuz and share the revenue with Oman, which sits across the strait.
Israel’s preferred option would be for the US to maintain the blockade on Hormuz while allies prepare for any resumption of hostilities, according to an Israeli official familiar with the discussions, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday killed 14 people, Lebanese state media reported, citing the country’s health ministry. The victims included two children. Trump said Lebanon and Israel, which has waged a conflict against Iran-backed Hezbollah, agreed to extend a ceasefire by three weeks until around mid-May. Yet both Israel and Hezbollah continue to accuse each other of attacks that violate the truce terms.
In a statement Monday, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qasem rejected the Lebanese government’s direct negotiations with Israel. The group, Qasem said, would not back down against Israel or relinquish its weapons.
