The proposal also plans to postpone nuclear negotiations to a later phase, Axios reported citing a US official and sources familiar with the matter.
Negotiations between Tehran and Washington remain at a standstill, largely due to internal divisions within Iran’s leadership over potential nuclear concessions.
The latest proposal seeks to bypass the nuclear issue for now and instead prioritise reopening the strait, lifting the US naval blockade, and securing a ceasefire.
However, removing the blockade could reduce the leverage of US President Donald Trump in future negotiations, particularly regarding demands to curb Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and suspend enrichment activities, as per Axios.
US deliberates next steps
Trump is expected to hold a Situation Room meeting on Monday, April 27, with senior national security and foreign policy officials to review the stalled negotiations.
Trump indicated his preference for maintaining pressure through the blockade.
“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 reportedly told Fox News in an interview.
Regional engagements continue
The diplomatic strain deepened after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s recent visit to Islamabad failed to yield progress.
Planned talks with US envoys were called off, with Trump saying, “I see no point of sending them on an 18-hour flight in the current situation. It’s too long. We can do it just as well by telephone. The Iranians can call us if they want. We are not gonna travel just to sit there.”
Araghchi later held discussions in Muscat and is expected to travel to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Phased approach to sensitive issues
Iran conveyed through regional mediators that there is no internal consensus on how to address US nuclear demands. The proposal suggests extending the ceasefire or agreeing to a long-term truce first, followed by nuclear negotiations at a later stage, the report said.
“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US 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, never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales was quoted as saying by Axios.
