WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD – Iran has given the US a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war that includes putting off nuclear negotiations, Axios reported, citing a US official and two sources with knowledge the matter.
The plan, conveyed through mediators in Pakistan, calls for extending the ceasefire so the parties can work toward a permanent end to the fighting, Axios said.
Nuclear talks would come later, only after a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is lifted.
Pakistani mediators have given the proposal to the White House but it’s unclear whether the US wants to explore it, Axios said.
The US dollar slipped against most major peers soon after the report was released in early trading in Asia on April 27, while S&P 500 index futures rose. Oil pared gains.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the Axios report.
Efforts to resume peace talks over the Iran war halted over the weekend after US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned trip by his top envoys and the Islamic Republic said it won’t negotiate so long as it’s being threatened.
Mr Trump on April 25 acknowledged a new plan from Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic quickly sent over a fresh proposal after he told his envoys to stand down on a trip to Pakistan for talks.
“Interestingly, immediately, when I cancelled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better,” Mr Trump told reporters.
Iran “offered a lot but not enough,” he added, without providing details.
While a ceasefire has largely held since early April, both countries continue to maintain a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, making the key energy chokepoint virtually impassable.
The disruption to about a fifth of the world’s oil flows has been dubbed the biggest supply shock in history by the International Energy Agency. BLOOMBERG
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