Trump unhappy with Iran proposal as nuclear talks sidelined
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump and his national security team have discussed a proposal from Iran to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, with one official telling Reuters that "he doesn't love the proposal." The proposal calls for the US to lift its blockade and end hostilities before any negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program.
Proposal skepticism
Proposal dismissed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio
In a Fox News interview earlier Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to cast doubt on any Iranian proposal to clear the strategically critical strait. He argued that Iran's interpretation of reopening the strait involves coordinating with them and paying fees under threat. "What they mean by opening the straits is, 'Yes, the straits are open, as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission, or we'll blow you up and you pay us,'" he said.
Rubio
'That's not opening the straits'
He continued, "That's not opening the straits. Those are international waterways. They cannot normalize, nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize, a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use an international waterway and how much you have to pay them to use it." The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that the main goal of the conflict is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Ceasefire ongoing
US-Iran ceasefire remains in place
Rubio also appeared to rule out any deal that doesn't include Iran's nuclear program. "We can't let them get away with it," he told Fox News. "We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point," he added.
Talks canceled
Trump cancels planned peace talks with Iran
The discussions on Iran's proposal come after Trump canceled planned peace talks over the weekend. He scrapped plans for his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Iranian counterparts in Pakistan, citing wasted time and work. This decision came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Islamabad, where he only met Pakistani officials.
Oil impact
Iran's 3 conditions to reopen Hormuz
Iran has offered the US three conditions to reopen Hormuz. These include lifting the US blockade on Iran and its ports, ending hostilities in the Middle East, and postponing discussions on Tehran's nuclear program. In 2015, Iran and other countries, including the US, reached an agreement to curtail the country's nuclear program, which Iran claims is for peaceful civilian reasons. The accord fell apart when Trump unilaterally withdrew during his first term.