Axios: Iran Proposes New Deal Prioritizing Hormuz Reopening Before Nuclear Talks
Iran has proposed a new phased agreement to the US, suggesting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the war first, while delaying nuclear negotiations. President Trump is reportedly hesitant to give up his current leverage through the maritime blockade.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 13:21
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- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 08:29 (18h 57m after Collected)
(CNA Washington, 26th) Axios reported, citing a US official and two sources familiar with the matter, that Iran has proposed a new plan to the US, advocating for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war first, with nuclear negotiations to be discussed later.
The report indicated that US-Iran diplomacy is in a stalemate, and the Iranian leadership remains divided over the extent of nuclear concessions. Iran's new proposal seeks to bypass this issue to reach an agreement faster.
However, lifting the blockade and ending the war would cause US President Donald Trump to lose his leverage in future negotiations, making it difficult to force Tehran to remove enriched uranium stockpiles or pause enrichment—two of Trump's primary goals for starting the war.
According to three US officials, Trump is expected to convene a meeting in the White House Situation Room tomorrow with his national security and foreign strategy teams to discuss the Iran issue. Sources noted that the team will discuss the negotiation deadlock and potential subsequent steps.
In an interview with Fox News today, Trump hinted at wanting to continue the maritime blockade to choke off Iran's oil export lifeblood, forcing Tehran to make concessions in the coming weeks.
The US was originally scheduled to send representatives to Islamabad, Pakistan, yesterday to talk with Iran, but Trump canceled the meeting due to unclear attitudes from the Iranian side.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi visited Muscat, Oman, today to hold talks with Omani officials on the Hormuz issue, then traveled to Islamabad for a second round of negotiations, and is expected to fly to Moscow tomorrow to meet with Russian President Putin.
Sources revealed that during yesterday's Islamabad talks, Araghchi stated to mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar that the Iranian leadership has not yet reached a consensus on how to respond to US demands for pausing enrichment for at least 10 years and moving enriched uranium out of the country.
The new proposal submitted by Iran through Pakistan focuses on solving the Hormuz crisis and the US blockade first. It mentions extending the ceasefire for a longer period or permanently ending the war, while nuclear talks would only start after the strait is reopened and the blockade lifted.
It is understood the White House has received this proposal, but it is unclear if the US is willing to evaluate it further. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios: 'This is a sensitive diplomatic issue; the US does not negotiate through the media. As the President said, the US holds the leverage and will only reach a deal that prioritizes the American people and never allows Iran to possess nuclear weapons.'
An analysis by the New York Times pointed out that as peace talks stall, Tehran and Washington are currently in an awkward 'no war, no peace' deadlock. Analysts believe Iranian officials seem confident they can withstand the economic pain of war longer than Trump, but they also fear that without momentum, they will remain under the shadow of potential attacks from the US and Israel. (Compiled by: Chang Ming-hsuan, Chen Yi-wei) 1150427
The report indicated that US-Iran diplomacy is in a stalemate, and the Iranian leadership remains divided over the extent of nuclear concessions. Iran's new proposal seeks to bypass this issue to reach an agreement faster.
However, lifting the blockade and ending the war would cause US President Donald Trump to lose his leverage in future negotiations, making it difficult to force Tehran to remove enriched uranium stockpiles or pause enrichment—two of Trump's primary goals for starting the war.
According to three US officials, Trump is expected to convene a meeting in the White House Situation Room tomorrow with his national security and foreign strategy teams to discuss the Iran issue. Sources noted that the team will discuss the negotiation deadlock and potential subsequent steps.
In an interview with Fox News today, Trump hinted at wanting to continue the maritime blockade to choke off Iran's oil export lifeblood, forcing Tehran to make concessions in the coming weeks.
The US was originally scheduled to send representatives to Islamabad, Pakistan, yesterday to talk with Iran, but Trump canceled the meeting due to unclear attitudes from the Iranian side.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi visited Muscat, Oman, today to hold talks with Omani officials on the Hormuz issue, then traveled to Islamabad for a second round of negotiations, and is expected to fly to Moscow tomorrow to meet with Russian President Putin.
Sources revealed that during yesterday's Islamabad talks, Araghchi stated to mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar that the Iranian leadership has not yet reached a consensus on how to respond to US demands for pausing enrichment for at least 10 years and moving enriched uranium out of the country.
The new proposal submitted by Iran through Pakistan focuses on solving the Hormuz crisis and the US blockade first. It mentions extending the ceasefire for a longer period or permanently ending the war, while nuclear talks would only start after the strait is reopened and the blockade lifted.
It is understood the White House has received this proposal, but it is unclear if the US is willing to evaluate it further. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios: 'This is a sensitive diplomatic issue; the US does not negotiate through the media. As the President said, the US holds the leverage and will only reach a deal that prioritizes the American people and never allows Iran to possess nuclear weapons.'
An analysis by the New York Times pointed out that as peace talks stall, Tehran and Washington are currently in an awkward 'no war, no peace' deadlock. Analysts believe Iranian officials seem confident they can withstand the economic pain of war longer than Trump, but they also fear that without momentum, they will remain under the shadow of potential attacks from the US and Israel. (Compiled by: Chang Ming-hsuan, Chen Yi-wei) 1150427