President Donald Trump is dissatisfied with Iran’s newest proposal to end the conflict with the United States and Israel, according to a U.S. official familiar with a Monday strategy meeting. The dispute centers on Iran’s demand to delay talks over its nuclear program, an issue Washington insists must be addressed immediately.
That disagreement has become a major obstacle to any ceasefire effort, even as economic pressure grows and global oil markets react sharply.
A White House response signaled no public softening. Spokeswoman Olivia Wales said the United States “will not negotiate through the press” and has “been clear about our red lines” as the Trump administration seeks to end the war against Iran that began in February alongside Israel.
Iran’s reported proposal would begin with a halt to military operations and guarantees that the U.S. could not restart the war later. After that, negotiators would address the American naval blockade affecting Iranian trade routes and the future of the Strait of Hormuz. Only in later phases would both sides discuss the long-running nuclear dispute.
That sequencing appears unacceptable to Washington.
Trump has long argued that Iran’s nuclear activity must be central to any agreement. During his first term, he withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal, an agreement that had sharply limited Iran’s program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran has consistently said its nuclear work is intended for peaceful civilian use.
Diplomatic momentum has also weakened after Trump canceled a planned trip to Islamabad by special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. The visit had been seen as a possible opening for indirect talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had traveled repeatedly to Pakistan during the same period, suggesting active backchannel diplomacy.
Araqchi then visited Oman before traveling to Russia on Monday, where he met President Vladimir Putin and received public support from one of Tehran’s key allies.
Meanwhile, the economic fallout is growing.
Oil prices rose again in early Asian trading Tuesday as fears increased over supply disruptions in the Gulf. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, has slowed dramatically.
“For oil traders, it’s not the rhetoric that matters any more, but the actual physical flow of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and right now, that flow remains constrained,” Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at City Index and FOREX.com, said in a note.
Before the war, between 125 and 140 ships typically moved through the strait each day. In the past 24 hours, only seven vessels reportedly crossed, and none were carrying oil for the wider global market.
At least six tankers carrying Iranian oil have also turned back in recent days due to the U.S. blockade, according to ship-tracking data.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned U.S. seizures of Iran-linked tankers as “outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas”.
At home, Trump is also facing political pressure. His approval ratings have declined as critics question the administration’s changing explanations for the war and the lack of a clear endgame.
Araqchi told reporters in Russia that Trump requested negotiations because the United States had failed to meet its objectives.
