Middle East War Day 59: Trump Convenes National Security Team to Discuss Iranian Proposal, Latest Developments at a Glance

PARIS, April 27 (CNA) — As the US and Israel jointly attack Iran for the 59th day, the White House confirmed that President Trump convened his national security team to discuss an Iranian proposal. According to insiders, Trump indicated at today's high-level national security meeting that he was not inclined to accept the plan. Here is the latest situation of the Middle East war, compiled from AFP and other foreign media. In its recent new proposal, Iran advocated for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war first, followed by nuclear negotiations. US officials stated that reopening the Strait of Hormuz before resolving Iran's nuclear enrichment or near-weapons-grade enriched uranium stockpile issues could cause the US to lose a key bargaining chip in negotiations. However, if the waterway remains blocked, high energy prices will continue, leading to sustained increases in US oil prices. After today's meeting, it is still unclear what Trump's next steps will be. US officials expressed concern about internal divisions within the Iranian regime and uncertainty about who holds the final decision-making power to reach an agreement. Nevertheless, Trump remained reserved when publicly asked whether the US would resume military strikes. Military operations are currently on hold after Trump extended the ceasefire agreement last week. In addition, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran's attitude towards the critical waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, does not meet US requirements. He said in an interview with Fox News Channel, "If their so-called open strait means 'the strait will be open only if coordinated with Iran and with our consent, otherwise it will be attacked and you'll have to pay,' then it's not an open strait at all." Rubio said, "They cannot normalize this system, nor can we tolerate them trying to do so, handing over the right to use international waterways and charge fees to Iran unilaterally." As Tehran resumed commercial flights, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also warned that the US would sanction any individual or entity that deals with sanctioned Iranian airlines. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote today on the communication platform Telegram that Iran is studying President Trump's demands for negotiations. Araghchi told media in Russia that Trump's demand for negotiations was because the US had not achieved any of its goals. Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani said today that Iran needs assurances from the US and Israel that they will no longer launch attacks before the oil-rich Persian Gulf region can be secured. Iravani stated at the meeting, "Only when aggression against Iran ceases permanently, with credible guarantees that it will not be repeated, and with full respect for Iran's legitimate sovereign rights and interests, can lasting stability and security in the Persian Gulf and the broader region be achieved." After the meeting, Iravani also complained to the media that countries only criticized Iran but did not condemn the US's naval blockade. Uncertainty about how the Iran war might develop escalated over the weekend, causing international oil prices to rise in tandem. While the US stock markets Nasdaq and S&P 500 both hit new highs today, the gains were capped by the stalled Iran peace talks, and European stocks closed lower today. Due to no progress in restarting peace talks, transit through the Strait of Hormuz is almost at a standstill, and oil supply disruptions continue. The June futures price of West Texas Intermediate crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 2.1% to $96.37 per barrel; the June futures price of North Sea Brent crude on the London market rose 2.8% to $108.23 per barrel. Russian President Vladimir Putin said today in St. Petersburg, meeting Araghchi, that Russia "will do everything possible to protect your interests and the interests of all peoples in the Middle East," striving for an early peace, adding that "Russia, like Iran, intends to maintain our strategic partnership." According to vessel tracking data from Kpler and geospatial data analysis company SynMax's satellite analysis, since the US and Israel launched a joint war against Iran on February 28th, an average of 125 to 140 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily, but only 7 passed through in the past day, none of which carried oil for export to the international market. These 7 vessels included the Iranian dry bulk carrier Bavand, which departed from an Iranian port, and other vessels that left Iraqi ports. Insurance broker Marsh stated that some insurers have required vessels to obtain Iranian-approved transit permits to underwrite "war risk" insurance, reflecting the uncertainty and high risk in the Strait of Hormuz, which is still substantially blocked. In addition, insurers' concerns about risks in the Strait of Hormuz are also reflected in premium pricing. Marcus Baker, head of Marsh's Global Marine and Cargo division, said that "war risk" insurance premium rates are currently between 3% and 8% of the vessel's value. While this has fallen from 10% before the ceasefire, it is still dozens of times the normal rate of 0.25%. (Compiled by Liu Wen-yu) 1150428. Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom. Download CNA's "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly. The text, images, and audio/video of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.