The United States and Iran are weighing a new Iranian proposal that would focus first on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting a U.S. blockade, while postponing talks on Iran’s nuclear program, according to reports.
CNN reported, citing sources familiar with mediation efforts, that the gaps between the sides may be narrower than previously thought. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran is seeking guarantees for a full end to the war before a preliminary agreement on reopening the strategic waterway.
President Donald Trump and his advisers are skeptical of the proposal, the Journal reported, particularly over whether Iran is prepared to halt uranium enrichment and commit to not possessing nuclear weapons. A U.S. official told Reuters that Trump is “not satisfied” with the offer because it does not address Iran’s nuclear program.
CNN reported that the deal under discussion would restore the prewar status quo in the Strait of Hormuz, without Iranian control or transit fees. Mediators are pressing both sides to reach an agreement, with sources telling CNN that “the coming days are especially critical.”
Trump said over the weekend that he canceled plans to send envoys to Pakistan and that talks with Iran could continue “by phone.” He said the United States received a new Iranian proposal shortly after the delegation’s flight to Islamabad was canceled.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that any agreement on Hormuz would have to ensure free passage through the international waterway.
Rubio: any agreement on Hormuz would have to ensure free passage
(Video: FOX NEWS)
“If what they mean by opening the straits is, ‘Yes, the straits are open as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission or we’ll blow you up, and you pay us,’ that’s not opening the straits,” Rubio said.
Rubio said Iran’s nuclear program remains the central issue.
“The nuclear question is the reason why we’re in this in the first place,” he said. “That fundamental issue still has to be confronted.”
Rubio said he believes Iran is serious about seeking a deal, but only to buy time.
“They’re very good negotiators,” he said. “They’re very experienced negotiators, and 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.”
Asked what would happen if no deal is reached, Rubio said: “That’s the president’s decision to make.”