The BRICS TimesTehran has handed a new ceasefire offer to Washington through Pakistani mediators one that proposes opening the Strait of Hormuz while shelving nuclear talks for later. The Trump administration, however, is far from convinced. With oil prices climbing and the blockade holding firm, the fragile truce between America and Iran is balancing on a knife’s edge.
Iran Passes New Proposal to US Through Pakistan
Tehran has sent a fresh peace proposal to Washington routed through Pakistan, which has been playing the role of go-between in this tense US-Iran standoff. Iran’s state media outlet IRNA confirmed that the text of the latest plan was handed to Pakistani officials, who then passed it along to the American side. The proposal is centered on one big idea: reopen the Strait of Hormuz first and deal with Iran’s nuclear programme later.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a television interview that ending the war and securing lasting peace remain Tehran’s top priorities in talks with Washington. However, the details of exactly what the proposal contains especially on the nuclear front have not been made fully public.
What Iran Is Offering And Why Washington Is Hesitant
The core of Iran’s offer is straightforward in theory: allow all ships to pass freely through the Strait of Hormuz. In return, nuclear discussions would be pushed to a later stage after the broader conflict winds down. Iran’s state media outlet Fars News confirmed “These messages concern some of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s red lines, including nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.”
But Washington appears unimpressed. Early signals from Trump’s team suggest the proposal at least in its current form is unlikely to win American acceptance. Officials in Washington have voiced clear scepticism, and the Trump administration has been pushing hard for nuclear dismantlement as a non-negotiable condition. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had previously declared that Iran’s enrichment facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan must be taken apart before any deal can be sealed.
Mojtaba Khamenei Draws Hard Lines on Nuclear and Hormuz
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei who took over after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was assassinated in the early stages of this conflict has gone public with a firm stance. In a written message broadcast on state television, he declared that Iran would “safeguard” its nuclear and missile capabilities. He further warned that “foreign actors” have no place in the Persian Gulf except in his words “the depths of its waters.”
Khamenei’s statement, widely seen as a direct message to the US, throws into sharp relief just how far apart the two sides remain. Iranians have still not seen or heard him in person more than seven weeks since his appointment was announced. Yet his written declarations have carried enormous political weight inside and outside Iran.
Trump Doubles Down Blockade Is Here to Stay
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has shown no sign of backing down. He told reporters that the naval blockade on Iranian ports is doing exactly what it was designed to do starve Tehran of oil revenue and force it to the negotiating table. “The blockade is genius,” Trump reportedly said. The US has intercepted or redirected nearly 40 ships since the blockade kicked in earlier this month.
Trump’s team is also reportedly preparing to extend the blockade for a longer stretch potentially covering not just Iranian ports but a broader closure of the Strait of Hormuz itself. Meanwhile, the White House is also lobbying allied governments to join what it calls the “Maritime Freedom Construct” a joint naval coalition to keep freedom of navigation alive in the contested waterway.
The Hormuz Stalemate Is Hurting the World Economy
The Strait of Hormuz before the war carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Today, that route sits choked and contested, and the consequences are being felt everywhere. Oil prices have shot to a four-year high, and American consumers are paying the price at the pump as gas costs surge week after week.
Analyst Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, argues that Iran’s proposal should not be dismissed outright. “Both Tehran and Washington need to immediately focus on reforming the Strait,” Mortazavi said. “Tehran will not move if the US doesn’t lift its blockade, and Washington will not do so if Iran does not open the strait. So this can be a good first step towards a more permanent ceasefire, and then after reducing tension, the two sides can talk about other issues.”
On the nuclear question, she cautioned that it is a deeply complex issue. “Tehran once negotiated a successful nuclear deal with the Obama administration, which took two years of intense negotiations,” she said.
Pakistan’s High-Stakes Role as Middle Man
Pakistan has emerged as a surprisingly central player in these high-stakes negotiations. It was Islamabad that brokered the original two-week ceasefire on April 8 after weeks of escalating threats and strikes that left thousands dead and global energy markets reeling. Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir played a direct role in those initial negotiations, alongside US Vice President JD Vance and Steve Witkoff.
When a second round of talks was held in Islamabad in mid-April with Vance, Witkoff, and Jared Kushner flying in Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led his country’s delegation alongside parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Those talks ended without a breakthrough. Vance left saying no agreement had been reached. Trump called Iran “unyielding” on the nuclear issue. Araghchi, for his part, said a deal was “just inches away” but blamed “maximalist demands” from the American side.
What Happens Next And the Pressure Building on Both Sides
Both sides are for now playing a waiting game, hoping the other blinks first. Tehran appears to be buying time, sending layered proposals with incremental movement. Washington is squeezing Iran economically hoping soaring domestic gas prices won’t turn into a political liability before Iran caves.
Trump was also reportedly briefed by military officials on possible new strikes on Iran though his current preference is economic strangulation over renewed military action. The UAE has openly demanded the “unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz” and wants Iran held accountable for reparations. Saudi Arabia has called for talks that address all the issues that have destabilized the Middle East “over the past decades.”
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has claimed that US$270 billion in direct and indirect damage has been inflicted on his country and that reparations from Gulf states have already been raised with mediators. He has said payment of reparations is the “only way” to end the conflict.
Whether the current proposal leads anywhere or whether the fragile ceasefire collapses entirely may depend on decisions made in the coming days. Trump himself hinted at the opacity of the negotiations, telling reporters that the status of talks is known only to himself and “a handful of others.”
