Iran’s Strait-First Offer: A Stepwise Deal to Reopen Hormuz and End War

Iran has sent the United States a plan via Pakistani middlemen that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, stop the current war, and postpone nuclear negotiations to a later date. The plan gives top priority to settling the Strait crisis and lifting the U.S. embargo, first by means of either a truce extension or a permanent cessation of violence. Only after these actions would nuclear discussions take place, including U.S. requests to stop uranium enrichment, a tactic meant to get around internal Iranian leadership disagreements about nuclear compromises.

The diplomatic effort stalled after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's trip to Pakistan did not move discussions ahead, leading President Trump to cancel a planned meeting with a U.S. envoy. The strait's partial closure results from U.S. port blockades since late February 2026, therefore endangering international oil flows. Reportedly, Trump intends to have a Situation Room briefing to go over possibilities while keeping the pressure on through the blockade.

The White House claims on the American side to have gotten the proposal but refuses to discuss any negotiating moves openly, emphasizing that stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains the first concern. Though there has been no official acceptance or rejection of the offer yet, Trump has indicated an intention to maintain the blockade in place to get concessions shortly.