Iran floats phased deal: reopen Hormuz first, nuclear talks later
Bangla Press Desk: Iran has proposed a deal to the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, with nuclear negotiations pushed to a later stage, reports bdnews24.com, citing Axios.
The diplomatic outreach, as per the American news outlet, comes as the Iranian leadership remains divided over which nuclear concessions to offer.
By sidelining the atomic issue, Tehran aims to secure a faster deal to lift the naval blockade that is currently choking its oil exports.
Accepting such terms, however, would remove the leverage President Donald Trump relies on to force Iran to suspend uranium enrichment -- a primary war objective for Washington.
Trump is expected to convene a Situation Room meeting on Monday with his top national security and foreign policy team to discuss the stalled talks.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump indicated a preference for maintaining the blockade, suggesting that the internal pressure on Iran’s oil infrastructure is reaching a breaking point.
"They say they only have about three days before that happens," the president said, referring to the risk of pipeline failures if exports remain halted.
The crisis edged higher over the weekend following a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Pakistan, which failed to yield a breakthrough.
The White House had initially planned for envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to meet Araghchi in Islamabad, but the trip was cancelled.
Trump told the US media organisation that he saw no point in sending his team on an 18-hour flight when the Iranians remained noncommittal, saying they could communicate by telephone instead.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani officials in Muscat before returning to Islamabad, was scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday.
The foreign minister reportedly made it clear to mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar that there is no consensus in Tehran on how to meet US demands.
Washington has insisted that Iran must remove its enriched uranium from the country and suspend enrichment for at least a decade.
The proposal delivered via Pakistani mediators focuses on a long-term ceasefire or a permanent end to the war as a prerequisite for opening the strait.
Only after the blockade is lifted would the nuclear talks begin.
While the White House has received the document, it remains unclear if the administration will entertain the offer, said the American news website.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales noted that the US would not negotiate through the press, reiterating that any deal must ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, it added.
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