Iran on Monday, April 27, 2026, submitted a formal proposal to the United States that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports and agrees to end military operations — while postponing direct negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program to a later phase. The proposal was first reported by Axios on Monday and confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt the same afternoon, who said President Trump and his national security team had discussed the offer.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the framework during weekend visits to Islamabad and Muscat, after the second round of direct U.S.-Iran talks collapsed when Araghchi left Pakistan on Sunday April 26 without meeting any U.S. officials. Trump cancelled the Witkoff-Kushner trip to Islamabad on Saturday. Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif and Iranian President Pezeshkian held a 50-minute phone call Saturday evening to keep the back-channel open.
Under the proposal, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping if the United States ends its blockade on Iranian ports and concludes the active phase of the conflict. Critically, Tehran wants nuclear talks deferred — a sequencing that goes to the heart of Washington’s objections. The Trump administration has publicly maintained that dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities was the primary objective for initiating the conflict in the first place.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to pour cold water on the proposal in a Fox News interview Monday, saying that Iran is “serious about figuring out how they can buy themselves more time” and that the U.S. “can’t let them get away with it.” He added that Iran is “worse off” and “weaker” than it was at the start of the conflict. Rubio specifically dismissed the framing of Iran “reopening” the strait, noting that Hormuz is international waters and Iran has no legitimate authority to close or open it.
Multiple media reports cited unnamed senior officials saying President Trump “does not love” the proposal because it omits provisions for Iran’s nuclear program. CNN reported Trump is unlikely to accept the offer in its current form. U.S. intelligence assessments reportedly suggest that Iranian negotiators have not been authorized by the Supreme Leader or the IRGC to make meaningful concessions on the nuclear program, complicating any sequenced framework.
European allies have begun pushing for a more comprehensive solution. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that Washington risks being outmaneuvered if it accepts an Iran-controlled framework for Hormuz transit, accusing Tehran of engaging in tactical delay while the U.S. lacks a clear exit strategy. The U.K. and France remain part of a coordinated effort to secure the strait.
Oil markets reacted with continued volatility through Monday and Tuesday. WTI crude rallied sharply, touching $100/bbl, on hopes that any framework deal — even a partial one — could begin restoring tanker traffic. For continuous market reaction, see our oil price dashboard and geopolitics dashboard.