Iran, through Pakistani mediators, gave the US a new proposal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, with nuclear negotiations postponed for a later stage, Axios reported on Sunday, citing a US official and two sources with knowledge of the matter.
The report also mentioned that US President Donald Trump is expected to hold a situation room meeting on Iran with his top national security and foreign policy team, during which he would review possible actions to take going forward.
The Iranian demand would require the US to lift the blockade of Iranian assets crossing the Strait, which is the only leverage that it can use against the regime when negotiating for a nuclear deal.
Trump already signaled on Sunday that he plans to keep the blockade active until a complete deal is struck with the Iranian regime.
“When you have vast amounts of oil pouring through your system… if for any reason this line is closed because you can’t put it into containers or ships… what happens is that line explodes from within… they say they only have about three days before that happens,” Trump told Fox News on Sunday.
“And when it explodes, you can never rebuild it the way it was… it would only be 50% of what it is right now. So I think they are under pressure,” he added.
“Important discussions on bilateral matters and regional developments. As only Hormuz littoral states, our focus included ways to ensure safe transit that is to the benefit of all dear neighbors and the world,” Araghchi published on X after his visit.
“Our neighbors are our priority,” he claimed.
Araghchi’s comments come as he left for Moscow, as part of a series of talks with regional allies in the midst of talks with the US. Before visiting Oman, he met Pakistani officials in Islamabad.
Source:
www.jpost.com
