Iran has put forward a fresh proposal in the table that could see its war with the United States come to an end, with the peace plan offering a glimmer of hope for a potential breakthrough in stalled peace talks between the two nations. Key disagreements between the warring nations still threaten to derail any deal put forward, however, with the US offering no indication it will accept the latest proposal.
Tehran has used Pakistani mediators to present Washington with a new plan that would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened, Axios reports, with the deal understood to be willing to lift the naval blockade and to end hostilities in the Middle East.
Under the proposal, which has reportedly been cited by one US official and two other sources with knowledge of negotiations, Iran’s nuclear programme would be delayed until after shipping routes through the crucial waterway are fully restored. Only once the Strait is operational again would talks on Iran’s nuclear capabilities and enrichment programme actually commence.
The surprise development comes after talks between the two sides had stalled earlier this week. As per reports, US President Donald Trump will consider the unexpected peace offering in an emergency Situation Room meeting early Monday morning to assess Iran’s offer and to determine next steps.
However, the proposal is unlikely to satisfy Trump, who has repeatedly issued what have been described as “maximalist” demands aimed at permanently dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The US president has made clear his core position that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon”, insisting that Tehran hand over its stockpiles of uranium and that it halt its enrichment of the dangerous chemical element entirely.
Iran’s latest move is understood to be an attempt to work around internal divisions within its own leadership over how much it is willing to concede on its nuclear programme. So far, those disagreements have been a major factor in the negotiation deadlock.
Critics of the proposal suggest that agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the blockade would leave Trump with little leverage to force Iran into abandoning its nuclear ambitions — which has been one of Trump’s central objectives in the US conflict with Iran.
The White House has confirmed it has received Iran’s proposal but has not indicated whether it is willing to accept the terms.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has continued with his diplomatic efforts abroad. Araghchi has visited neighbouring Middle Eastern nation Oman in recent days, before going on to talks in Pakistan. He landed this evening in Saint Petersburg and will travel onward to Moscow where he will meet with president Vladimir Putin.
While the surprise peace proposal looks to be a signal towards de-escalation between warring nations, it remains to be seen if officials on both sides of the negotiation table will be able to overcome the remaining hurdles in the way of achieving a peace an agreement.
