Trump reviews Iranian proposal aimed at reopening Strait of Hormuz

United States President Donald Trump’s national security team is reviewing an Iranian proposal aimed at halting its joint war with Israel, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and delaying negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme until after the war ends.

The White House confirmed Trump met his national security advisers on Monday to discuss the plan, while US media reports said he was dissatisfied with the proposal because it postpones talks on Iran’s nuclear activities.

The Reuters news agency, citing an official briefed on the meeting, said Trump wants the nuclear issue addressed at the start of any negotiations. CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, said Trump was unlikely to accept the proposal, reporting that lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports without resolving concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme would weaken Washington’s leverage.

The proposal comes amid uncertainty surrounding shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran will not enter negotiations while the US maintains restrictions on Iranian ports. Washington and Tehran agreed to a temporary ceasefire on April 8 after more than a month of fighting that began with joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The truce, mediated by Pakistan, has since come under strain because of disputes over maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz and US measures targeting Iranian ports. A parallel conflict involving Israel and Lebanon has also added to regional tensions.

Iran signals openness to diplomacy

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday and said Tehran was considering a US request to restart negotiations.

Araghchi said he welcomed engagement with Russia at the “highest level” at a time of regional instability.

“Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership,” Araghchi wrote on X. “As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia’s support for diplomacy.”

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid said Araghchi was expected to return to Iran after meetings with regional partners.

“He had travelled to Pakistan, Oman and Russia. We know there’s a strategic partnership between Iran and these countries. We know Oman is Iran’s traditional mediator,” Alruhaid said.

“But the Iranians are trying to say that they are open to diplomacy. They are sending messages. They are not closing any channels and not closing any doors for diplomacy.”

Calls to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Dozens of countries have called for the “urgent and unimpeded reopening” of the Strait of Hormuz, while United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned the standoff could trigger a global food emergency.

Reporting from the UN, New York, Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey said diplomats repeatedly appealed for de-escalation during a Security Council meeting.

She said speakers highlighted the disruption caused by thousands of stranded cargo vessels and tens of thousands of maritime workers unable to move through the waterway.

Guterres also warned that shipping disruptions were hitting vulnerable countries hardest, with about 20 percent of global oil and natural gas supplies passing through the strait.

Bahrain, which requested the meeting with support from dozens of countries affected by higher fuel prices, described the closure as a violation of international law and called for attacks on ships to end.

“No action was taken by the Security Council … A past resolution that called for reopening the strait was blocked by China and Russia, with Moscow blaming the US and Israel for their ‘unprovoked attack’ on Iran as the source of the problem,” Saloomey added.