The US is waiting on Iran to respond to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end a war that’s killed thousands of people, with tensions still high in both the Persian Gulf and in Lebanon. Iran’s leaders are yet to indicate whether they’ll accept the terms of the deal, though they’ve previously shown little sign of yielding on their nuclear program and accepting a moratorium on enriching uranium, which the US is calling for. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian recently met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei for nearly two and a half hours, the state-owned Mizan news agency reported Thursday, without saying what the talks were about or when they were held. Iran is expected to send a response via Pakistan, acting as a mediator, in the next two days, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive information. Oil has declined sharply since news of the US offer emerged on Wednesday, signalling some traders are optimistic a deal could be reached. Washington has relayed a one-page memo to the Islamic Republic that could reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and lift the US blockade of Iranian ports, according to the person familiar with the matter. That would set the stage for a month of talks aimed at securing a final agreement to bring the 10-week conflict to a close. Should the negotiation get to that stage, the sides will discuss Iran’s nuclear activities. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the objective of the war is to prevent Tehran having a nuclear weapon, something Iran has always denied. Trump said Wednesday the US is “going to get” the Islamic Republic’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of the agreement, though there’s been no indication Tehran is willing to make that concession.
The US will start a broader and more intense bombing campaign if Iran rejects the initial 14-point peace plan, Trump said earlier in a social media post, though he’s repeatedly walked back on threats to escalate the conflict. He told PBS News Hour he believes there’s “a very good chance” of a deal, possibly before his scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next week.
Iran’s state-affiliated news agency ISNA said reports on elements of the proposal amount to “media speculation and atmosphere-building,” adding that nuclear enrichment is not part of the current discussions.
Khamenei succeeded his father, Ali, who was killed by an Israeli strike on the first day of the war. He hasn’t been seen in public since. Last week, in a statement, he said Iran would not give concessions on its nuclear program, describing it as a “national asset” that Iranians would protect at all cost. Other outstanding issues include limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for allied militant groups such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah., Those are a priority for Israel, whose officials struck a cautious tone on the latest US push to wind down the campaign against Iran. Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told Army Radio on Thursday that “we need to wait and not come out with declarations and headlines” about a potential deal. Reopening Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war brought traffic to a standstill, is a key objective for Trump.