Iran Offers To End Chokehold On Strait Of Hormuz And Asks US To End Blockade, Officials Say

CAIRO : Iran is offering to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, two regional officials with knowledge of the proposal said Monday, as the country’s foreign minister made a visit to Russia he said was an opportunity to consult with Moscow regarding the war against Israel and the United States.
Iran also wants the U.S. to end its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, said the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.
The new proposal, passed to the United States by Pakistan, likely won’t be supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, who wants to end Iran’s atomic program as part of an overall deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make the ceasefire permanent.
“We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us,” Trump said Sunday to Fox News Channel.
The Axios news outlet first reported Iran’s proposal.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in St. Petersburg on Monday morning ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. His trip over the weekend has included two stops in Pakistan and a visit to Oman, which shares the strait with Iran.
Araghchi’s visit comes as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. in the crucial Strait of Hormuz persists despite a ceasefire, keeping oil prices high.
“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.
Pakistan has been seeking to revive stalled talks between Iran and the U.S., and negotiations had been expected in Islamabad over the weekend. But U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the talks could take place by phone instead.
Araghchi said it was America’s approach that “caused the negotiations to be delayed.”
“The previous one, despite the progress that had been made, could not achieve its goals,” he said, blaming what he called Washington’s “excessive demands.”
Trump has questioned who is in charge in Iran at the moment and said confusion within its theocracy made it difficult to reach a deal.
The White House last week said it would dispatch envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad to follow up on historic face-to-face talks earlier this month. But Araghchi left the Pakistani capital Saturday, and shortly afterward Trump said he had called off the mission because of a lack of progress with Iran. (Agencies)