By Mildred Richard
President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalating regional conflict, after determining it fails to address Tehran’s nuclear program, according to U.S. officials and people briefed on internal discussions.
The proposal, transmitted through intermediaries and reviewed in a White House Situation Room briefing, outlines phased steps to ease maritime tensions and lift certain restrictions on shipping lanes.
But it does not include commitments on uranium enrichment, a core demand from Washington. A senior U.S. official revealed Trump “doesn’t love the proposal,” citing its omission of nuclear restrictions.
The White House has not publicly detailed its counteroffer but emphasized that nuclear issues cannot be deferred.
“We have been clear about our red lines,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said, adding that any agreement must serve “the American people and global stability.”
The Iranian proposal reportedly suggests postponing nuclear negotiations until after broader regional disputes are resolved, including maritime access and sanctions relief.
U.S. officials have rejected that sequencing approach. The dispute marks another setback in months of strained diplomacy following heightened tensions triggered by military actions and maritime restrictions in the Gulf region.
Energy markets have remained volatile as shipping disruptions continue.Trump reviewed the proposal during consultations with national security advisers earlier this week, according to officials familiar with the matter.
The discussions followed a separate round of talks that collapsed over similar disagreements on nuclear enrichment. Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes and has rejected demands for a full halt to enrichment activities.
Tehran has also insisted that any agreement must include relief from U.S.-led economic sanctions.
Washington, however, continues to insist that any diplomatic framework must address nuclear capabilities from the outset, rather than in later phases of negotiation. That divergence has become the central sticking point in talks.
Mediators, including regional partners, have attempted to keep channels open despite repeated breakdowns. Officials involved in the process say backchannel communications have not fully collapsed but remain fragile.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments, has become a focal point of the dispute.
Any disruption there has immediate effects on global oil supply chains and pricing stability. Previous attempts at negotiation have been disrupted by mutual distrust, sanctions disputes, and competing security concerns involving regional allies.
Those tensions have intensified since earlier rounds of talks collapsed without agreement.Trump has previously signaled openness to a deal framework but has repeatedly drawn a firm line on nuclear enrichment.
That stance has narrowed the space for compromise in current negotiations.
Iranian officials, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions, believe delaying nuclear talks could create conditions for broader de-escalation. U.S. officials view that sequencing as a strategic delay tactic.
The standoff comes amid broader regional instability that has drawn in multiple actors and strained global energy markets. Analysts say the nuclear issue remains the decisive factor in any future agreement.
Despite public rejection of the current proposal, U.S. officials say diplomatic engagement has not fully ended. However, they acknowledge that expectations for a near-term breakthrough have significantly weakened.
