U.S. reviews Iran proposal reopening Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The White House said Monday it is reviewing Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, two months after a US-Israeli offensive disrupted global oil flows.

President Donald Trump met with top security advisors after Tehran sent “written messages” through Pakistan outlining its red lines, including nuclear and strait-related issues, the Fars News Agency reported.

The proposal “is being discussed,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.

“It’s better than what we thought they were going to submit,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News, but he questioned its authenticity. “We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed Washington for stalled peace talks during a visit to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin pledged support. “The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands,” Araghchi said.

On the ground in Tehran, the economic impact of the conflict is felt widely. “Everything in the country is up in the air right now. I have not worked for a long time,” said small business owner Farshad. Photographer Shervin added, “It is the first time that I have reached a point where I was late on my rent. I still don’t have any projects.”

Iran has blocked Hormuz, while the US has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports. Rubio rejected Iran’s proposed transit fees, telling Fox News, “They cannot normalise — nor can we tolerate them trying to normalise — a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use an international waterway, and how much you have to pay them to use it.”

Meanwhile, violence continues in Lebanon despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli strikes followed rocket attacks by the Iran-backed group. “Qassem is playing with fire,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said his “goal is to reach an end to the state of war with Israel,” while Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir cautioned that 2026 “was likely to be another year of fighting” on all fronts.