Iran is offering to lift its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz without tackling its nuclear programme, two regional officials familiar with the offer said Monday, as the country's foreign minister travelled to Russia in what he described as an opportunity to consult with Moscow about the conflict with Israel and the United States.
Iran also seeks the US to lift its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, said the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations. The fresh proposal, delivered to the United States through Pakistan, is unlikely to gain support from US President Donald Trump, who insists on ending Iran's atomic programme as part of a comprehensive deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and secure a permanent ceasefire.
"We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us," Trump told Fox News Channel on Sunday.
The Axios news outlet first reported Iran's proposal. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in St Petersburg on Monday morning ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. His weekend trip has included two stops in Pakistan and a visit to Oman, which shares the strait with Iran.
Araghchi's visit comes as a stand-off between Iran and the US in the vital Strait of Hormuz continues despite a ceasefire, keeping oil prices elevated. "It is a good opportunity for us to consult with our Russian friends about the developments that have occurred in relation to the war during this period and what is happening now," Araghchi said in a video interview posted by IRNA.
Trump said nuclear arms was a non-negotiable in peace talks.
Pakistan has been attempting to restart stalled negotiations between Iran and the US, with talks having been anticipated in Islamabad over the weekend. However, US President Donald Trump has indicated the discussions could take place via telephone instead.
Araghchi pointed to America's stance as the reason that "caused the negotiations to be delayed". "The previous one, despite the progress that had been made, could not achieve its goals," he said, attributing the breakdown to what he described as Washington's "excessive demands".
Trump has cast doubt on who holds authority in Iran and suggested that uncertainty within its theocratic leadership was hampering any prospect of reaching an agreement.
The White House announced last week that it would send envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad to build on landmark face-to-face discussions held earlier this month. However, Araghchi departed the Pakistani capital on Saturday, and shortly afterwards Trump declared he had abandoned the mission due to a lack of progress with Iran.
"If they want, we can talk but we're not sending people," Trump told Fox News on Sunday. He had previously written on social media: "All they have to do is call!!!" Araghchi subsequently returned to Islamabad, and also visited the Omani capital of Muscat before travelling on to Russia. He also held telephone conversations with counterparts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
A deadlock persists over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entrance to the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas ordinarily passes, as Iran has restricted movement through it while the US enforces a blockade of Iranian ports.
The June contract for Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading at around $107 per barrel on Monday, compared to $72 a barrel prior to the outbreak of war.
Oil prices have climbed steadily since hostilities began and tankers laden with crude became stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to safely navigate through the strait to reach global distribution points.
The economic consequences are mounting two months into the conflict, as worldwide shipments of not only oil, but also liquefied natural gas, fertiliser and other essential supplies are disrupted by the near-closure of the strategically vital strait.
Iran is seeking to persuade Oman to back a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to discuss the matter. Oman's response was not immediately forthcoming.
The official, who is involved in mediation efforts, also revealed that Iran is insisting on an end to the US blockade before entering fresh talks, and that Pakistan-led mediators are working to bridge considerable differences between the two nations. Last week, Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran on April 7, which has largely brought to a halt the fighting that erupted following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. However, a lasting resolution remains out of reach in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and rattled the global economy.
Even prior to Saturday's developments, Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that any discussions would be conducted indirectly, with Pakistani officials serving as intermediaries — a reflection of Tehran's deep mistrust following several rounds of indirect talks last year and earlier this year that ultimately culminated in Iran being targeted by the US and Israel.
Both parties have continued to exchange military threats. Iran's joint military command warned on Saturday that "if the US continues its aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, banditry, and piracy" it will face a "strong response".
Last week, Trump instructed the military to "shoot and kill" small vessels suspected of laying mines in the waterway. Trump told journalists on Saturday that within 10 minutes of him cancelling Witkoff and Kushner's trip to Islamabad, Iran submitted a "much better" proposal.
He declined to elaborate, but made clear that one of his key conditions is that Iran "will not have a nuclear weapon". The fate of Iran's enriched uranium has long sat at the heart of tensions.
According to the UN nuclear watchdog, Tehran currently holds 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity — just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.
Since the conflict commenced, at least 3,375 people have lost their lives in Iran and at least 2,509 in Lebanon, where the Israel-Hezbollah hostilities recommenced two days after the Iran war erupted. A further 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 US service members in the region and six UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.
A separate ceasefire - between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant Hezbollah group - has been prolonged by three weeks. Hezbollah has not taken part in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.
