U.S. appears cool on Iran proposal to end war and reopen Hormuz without a nuclear deal


The United States showed little immediate enthusiasm for a new Iranian proposal that would end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz without resolving the impasse over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Iran’s latest offer looked “better” than past pitches, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late Monday, after it was discussed by President Donald Trump and his national security team. But there was little sign that Washington might be willing to abandon its naval blockade and accept the offer.

Energy prices soared again on the negative signals, with the international benchmark price for oil, Brent crude, reaching a three-week high above $111 a barrel early Tuesday.

The Iranian proposal would focus on reopening Hormuz — the vital trade route whose closure has shaken the global economy — and ending the war the U.S. and Israel began two months ago, but table thorny nuclear talks until a later date, a Gulf source and a regional source told NBC News.

The details of the proposal were first reported by Axios.

“Suffice it to say that the nuclear question is the reason why we’re in this in the first place,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News.

“They’re very good negotiators,” he said of Iran, but he said any agreement would have to be one that “definitively prevents them from sprinting toward a nuclear weapon at any point.”

Iran maintains that it has no desire to develop a nuclear weapon, but American demands that Tehran halt its enrichment program have been a key roadblock in peace talks.

The Iranian proposal was discussed Monday in a meeting between Trump and his national security team, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, although it was not immediately clear how seriously it was being weighed. ​

“The president’s red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear, not just to the American public, but also to them as well,” Leavitt told reporters. “I wouldn’t say they’re considering it,” she said, adding that Trump would address the subject publicly soon.

Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council will hold a meeting Tuesday where the Iranian proposal will also be discussed, according to two Gulf officials. Kuwait’s state news agency confirmed the group was expected to convene for an exceptional summit in Jeddah on Tuesday.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    lululemon Announces Appointment of Esi Eggleston Bracey to Board of Directors

    The company, its directors and certain of its executive officers (Meghan Frank, Interim Co-CEO and Chief Financial Officer; André Maestrini, Interim Co-CEO, President, and Chief Commercial Officer; and Shannon Higginson,…

    HUD Says It’s Legal to Tell the Truth

    HUD: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to real estate professionals clarifying they are not violating the Fair Housing Act when they…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Tory Burch Reveals Splash, Its High Summer Collection, and Ad Campaign

    Tory Burch Reveals Splash, Its High Summer Collection, and Ad Campaign

    Fuel Crisis Creates Commuter Crush in the Philippines

    Fuel Crisis Creates Commuter Crush in the Philippines

    Barclays cuts back risky lending after £228m hit from UK mortgage firm MFS | Barclays

    Barclays cuts back risky lending after £228m hit from UK mortgage firm MFS | Barclays

    Google and Pentagon reportedly agree on deal for ‘any lawful’ use of AI

    Google and Pentagon reportedly agree on deal for ‘any lawful’ use of AI

    How Much Fuel Airlines Actually Save With Winglets

    How Much Fuel Airlines Actually Save With Winglets

    Palantir defends its record as MPs demand more scrutiny of data use

    Palantir defends its record as MPs demand more scrutiny of data use