Tehran proposed a plan that would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz while postponing questions related to its nuclear program for separate negotiations at a later stage. According to US officials, reopening the strait without resolving the issue of Iranian uranium enrichment and Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium near weapons-grade level is a key bargaining chip that the US will not easily give up.
President Donald Trumpis expected to meet with senior officials amid the deadlock with Tehran to discuss all available options to the US going forward. "If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines," the president said.
Pro-Iranian channel Al-Mayadeen reports Tehran has sent mediators a phased framework contingent on US approval, with the nuclear file reserved for the final stage.
While the Iranian security establishment is advancing a “Pro Internet” plan for insiders only, those close to President Pezeshkian are making clear it is a decision that contradicts government policy. The economic damage is soaring, 1 million citizens have lost their jobs and the split at the top of the regime in Tehran grows.
Trump stopped the negotiations after Iran’s proposal failed to include a commitment from all elements of its leadership. Meanwhile, Tehran demands relief even before fulfilling its obligations. As economic pressure mounts and the oil remains stuck, Washington believes time is on its side.
According to Iranian media reports, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left the talks and headed for meetings in Oman and Russia. Witkoff and Kushner’s departure for Islamabad has also yet to be confirmed. Negotiations between Washington and Tehran are expected to resume, but the gaps appear enormous.
US President Donald Trump's envoys will hold a face-to-face meeting with Abbas Araghchi. White House confirms: "The Iranians reached out and asked for this meeting." Washington says maximum pressure continues and the military option remains on the table
The US is continuing to expand its military presence in the region, with a new aircraft carrier arriving in the Indian Ocean and a heavy airlift underway. Trump said: "I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t — The clock is ticking!"
Iran's new supreme leader has already undergone three surgeries on his leg and is struggling to speak because of severe burns. While recovering from his injuries, the running of the country has passed into the hands of his close associates and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also involved in his recovery process.
Despite statements by President Donald Trump and the US defense establishment that Iran’s navy was destroyed and now lies at the bottom of the ocean, the seizure of two commercial vessels this week shows that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps still maintains thousands of speedboats. While Iran’s conventional fleet has largely been destroyed, its asymmetric “mosquito fleet” continues to operate with hit-and-run tactics, uses deep caves as cover and poses a real threat to the critical shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
