Iran has offered to loosen its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the United States ends its military campaign and lifts an economic blockade, according to two regional officials cited by The Associated Press on Monday. The proposal would postpone negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, a condition U.S. officials appear unwilling to accept.
The offer was delivered to U.S. officials through Pakistan and comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, AP reported. However, U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to embrace a deal that leaves unresolved the disputes that prompted U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb 28.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled that any proposal sidelining Iran's nuclear program would fall short. Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Rubio stressed that nuclear restrictions must remain central to any agreement. “We can't let them get away with it,” Rubio said, according to AP. “We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”
Under the Iranian proposal, talks on Tehran's nuclear activities would be deferred until the war formally ends and disputes over shipping in the Persian Gulf are resolved, the officials said. The United States has repeatedly said that nuclear issues must be addressed at the outset of any negotiations, AP reported.
ALSO READ: Brent Crude Holds Steady At $108 As US Weighs Iran Proposal, Hormuz Stays Shut
The dispute has centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one‑fifth of the world's traded oil and gas typically flows. Iran's restrictions on shipping have stranded oil tankers and disrupted global supply chains, while the U.S. blockade has sought to cut off Iran's ability to export oil, a critical source of revenue.
Oil and gasoline prices in the United States have surged ahead of key midterm elections, while Gulf Arab states that depend on the strait to export energy have pressed for its reopening. On Monday, Brent crude futures closed above $108 a barrel, roughly 50% higher than before the war began, AP reported.
Get the latest updates on the US-Iran war here.
The proposal emerged as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Russia, where he met President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, AP reported, citing Russian state media. Putin praised Iran's resistance and said Moscow would do everything possible to promote peace. Araghchi said the U.S. had failed to achieve its objectives and was now seeking negotiations.
Trump said over the weekend that after he canceled a planned trip by U.S. envoys to Pakistan, Iran submitted a “much better” proposal, though he offered no details. He reiterated that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, while Washington wants its stockpile of highly enriched uranium removed.
The war has taken a heavy toll. AP reported that at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, more than 2,500 in Lebanon, and dozens elsewhere in Israel and Gulf states.
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