Trump Discusses Iran Proposal With Aides, White House Says

Lindsay Newman, Columnist at GZero Media, discusses the latest developments in Iran as the White House weighs an Iranian proposal to end the war. Plus, she breaks down the implications of King Charles' multi-day state visit.

The White House said US officials were discussing Iran’s latest proposal but maintained “red lines” on any deal to end the eight-week war, including preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that President Donald Trump convened national security officials to review the proposal. “His red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear,” she said, adding that Trump would address the matter “very soon.”

The comments followed reports that Tehran proposed an interim deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington ending its blockade of Iranian ports, while postponing more complex negotiations over the country’s nuclear program.

Foreign leaders have expressed frustration. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US was being “humiliated” by Iranian leaders and that he can’t figure out what exit the Americans are pursuing.

Separately, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, on a visit to Russia, told President Vladimir Putin that Tehran was committed to strengthening the partnership between their nations. Iran has also signaled nuclear negotiations could be deferred, Axios reported.

An interim accord would reflect views among analysts and some governments that reopening the strait should come first to ease pressure on energy markets, leaving nuclear issues for later talks.

Trump, however, has said Iran’s nuclear program must be resolved in any deal, and the blockade will remain until then to pressure Iran by choking off its oil exports. President Donald Trump said Iran has asked the US to lift a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz while the two sides negotiate an end to the two-month war, which has upended global energy supplies.

Tehran wants the critical waterway for oil and gas shipments open “as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation,” Trump said on Truth Social on Tuesday. Iran has said it’s in a “State of Collapse,” he added.

The US leader on Monday convened his national security team to discuss an Iranian proposal to end the conflict, which began with US and Israeli airstrikes on the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28. The US has been blocking ships going to and from Iranian ports to try and squeeze the country of oil revenue, while Iran keeps the strait shuttered to almost all other traffic.

Iran, which hasn’t reacted to Trump’s post, has consistently said it will not open the strait as long as the US maintains its blockade. The White House is playing up divisions among Iran’s leaders, claiming that’s a reason for the diplomatic stalemate between the two counties.

Brent crude rose above $111 a barrel, bringing the gain this week to almost 6%, as concern grows of a protracted peace process that could keep Hormuz shut for an indefinite period.

The war’s ripple effects were underscored when the United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday it was leaving OPEC, dealing a blow to the oil cartel and its leader Saudi Arabia. The UAE, which can pump more crude than is allowed under its OPEC quota, has long chafed at the group’s restrictions.

Read More: UAE to Leave OPEC in May as Iran War Reshapes Oil Market

“The decision is taken at the right time in our view because it’s not going to hugely impact the market: the market is undersupplied,” UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei said. Abu Dhabi believes the shortages caused by the war will require agility to respond to market demands, he said.

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