- Araghchi ‘raised plan’ to postpone nuclear talks in Islamabad meetings.
- Tells brokers there is no consensus on how to address US claims.
- Armistice can be extended or converted to permanent end of war: proposal.
Through Pakistani mediators, Iran has offered a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war with nuclear negotiations postponed to a later stage, US media write. Axios reported, citing a US official and two sources with knowledge of the matter.
Hopes of reviving peace efforts dwindled on Saturday when US President Donald Trump scrapped a visit to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi flew to and from mediators Pakistan and Oman on Sunday before flying to Russia, where the two sides remain apparently far apart on issues including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and access through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said Iran could call if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war.
“If they want to talk, they can come to us or they can call us. You know, there’s a phone. We have good, secure lines,” Trump told “The Sunday Briefing” on Fox News.
“They know what should be in the agreement. It’s very simple: They can’t have a nuclear weapon; otherwise there’s no reason to meet,” Trump said.
Iran has long demanded that Washington recognize its right to enrich uranium, which Tehran says it seeks only for peaceful purposes but which Western powers say is aimed at building nuclear weapons.
Although a ceasefire has stopped full-scale fighting in the conflict, which began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, no agreement has been reached on terms to end a war that has killed thousands, driven up oil prices, fueled inflation and darkened the outlook for global growth.
Axioswhile citing two sources with knowledge, reported that the Iranian foreign minister raised the plan to sidestep the nuclear issue during his meetings in Islamabad.
According to one of the sources, Araghchi made it clear to the Pakistani, Egyptian, Turkish and Qatari mediators over the weekend that there is no consensus in the Iranian leadership on how to meet the US demands.
Under the proposal, Axios reported, the immediate focus would be on reopening the strait and lifting the blockade before moving on to broader negotiations.
As part of this framework, the existing ceasefire will either be extended for a longer period or converted into a permanent end to the war, the sources said.
The proposal envisages that negotiations on the nuclear issue will only begin at a later date, after access to the sea is restored and blockade-related issues are resolved.
The White House has received the proposal, although it remains unclear whether Washington is prepared to consider or pursue the framework.
“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the United States will not negotiate through the press. As the president has said, the United States holds the cards and will only make a deal that puts the American people first and never allows Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Axios.
As his approval ratings plummet, Trump faces domestic pressure to end the unpopular war. Iran’s leaders, though weakened militarily, have found leverage in negotiations with their ability to stop shipping in the strait, which normally carries a fifth of global oil shipments.
Tehran has largely closed the strait, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
The United States and Iran’s wide-ranging disagreements
Disputes between the US and Iran extend beyond Tehran’s nuclear program and control of the Straits.
Trump wants to curb Iran’s support for its regional proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, and limit its ability to attack US allies with ballistic missiles. Iran wants the lifting of sanctions and an end to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah.
In Lebanon, Israeli attacks killed 14 people and wounded 37 on Sunday, the health ministry said. The Israeli military warned residents to leave seven towns outside the “buffer zone” it occupied, ahead of a ceasefire that has not fully halted hostilities.
