Donald Trump is reportedly set to reject Iran’s latest proposal for a phased resolution to the escalating conflict in West Asia, with American officials suggesting the plan fails to meet Washington’s primary demand: immediate action on Tehran’s nuclear programme. According to reports citing senior administration figures, the President is dissatisfied with a proposal that seeks to delay nuclear negotiations until after a ceasefire is established and maritime security disputes in the Strait of Hormuz are settled. The White House views the nuclear issue as the cornerstone of any lasting peace and remains unwilling to decouple it from broader regional talks.
Tehran’s three-stage plan suggests a sequence beginning with an end to the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and guarantees against future hostilities. This would be followed by the lifting of the US naval blockade to reopen vital shipping routes, leaving contentious matters such as uranium enrichment rights for a final stage. However, a US official familiar with the President’s recent briefings confirmed that the proposed sequencing has been dismissed, as the administration insists that nuclear concerns are addressed from the very beginning.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reinforced this position during a recent interview with Fox News, asserting that the United States cannot allow Iran to bypass these requirements. He emphasised that any potential agreement must definitively prevent Tehran from making a sudden dash for a nuclear weapon. This hardline stance has cast a further shadow over diplomatic efforts, particularly after a scheduled round of talks in Islamabad was abandoned following the cancellation of a high-level visit by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in response, has sought support President Vladimir Putin.
The ongoing friction in the Gulf is continuing to unsettle global energy markets. Brent crude prices have spiked as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a conduit for approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil — remains heavily restricted. Recent shipping data indicates a dramatic collapse in transit; where over 100 vessels once passed through daily, only a fraction now do so, with numerous Iranian-linked tankers forced to retreat by the American blockade. While Tehran has denounced the seizure of its shipments as an act of piracy, it has hinted at easing its pressure on the strait should Washington agree to lift the blockade and bring the war to a close.
Also read: Anything for peace, says Putin as Araghchi visits Moscow
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