The White House confirmed on Monday that President Donald Trump convened his top national security advisors to review a new Iranian proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies that has been at the center of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The Iranian offer, first reported by U.S. Media outlets including Axios and the Associated Press, would allow commercial shipping to resume through the strait in exchange for the U.S. Lifting its naval blockade on Iranian vessels. However, Iran has reportedly delayed discussions on its nuclear program—a key demand from the Trump administration—as part of the deal.
The proposal was relayed to Washington through Pakistani intermediaries, according to the reports. The Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments, has seen minimal traffic since the U.S.-Iran conflict escalated in late February. The standoff has disrupted global energy markets, driving oil prices to levels not seen since the early days of the war.
Trump, however, appears skeptical of the Iranian offer. In a recent interview with Fox News, the president emphasized his intent to maintain pressure on Tehran, stating that the U.S. Is “suffocating Iran’s oil exports” in hopes of forcing concessions in the coming weeks. The White House has not yet indicated whether it will accept the proposal, though officials confirmed that the president’s security team met on April 27 to evaluate the terms.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in on the matter, telling Fox News that Iran’s conditions for reopening the strait remain unacceptable. “If by ‘open’ they mean ships must coordinate with Iran, seek permission, or pay a toll, that’s not an open strait,” Rubio said. “We cannot normalize a system where Iran dictates who uses an international waterway and at what cost.”
The Iranian foreign ministry, meanwhile, has framed the proposal as a step toward de-escalation. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously announced that the strait would be “completely open” for commercial vessels during the ceasefire period, though the U.S. Blockade on Iranian ports remains in place. Financial markets reacted swiftly to the news, with oil prices dropping approximately 9% in response to the prospect of resumed shipping.
The impasse underscores the broader challenges in U.S.-Iran negotiations. Earlier this month, Trump canceled a planned diplomatic mission to the region, citing the futility of in-person talks under current conditions. “It’s a long flight, and People can do this just as well by phone,” Trump told reporters. “If the Iranians want to talk, they can call us. We’re not traveling just to sit there.”
The Strait of Hormuz has long been a flashpoint in Middle Eastern geopolitics, with its control directly impacting global energy security. The latest proposal arrives amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which Iran had previously cited as a precondition for reopening the waterway. While both Washington and Tehran have claimed the strait is now “completely open,” the reality remains far more complex, with restrictions and mutual distrust continuing to hinder full normalization of shipping traffic.
In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. Of Iran.
&mdash. Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 16, 2026
According to reports, Iran has also presented the U.S. With a list of “non-negotiable” demands as part of broader peace talks, though details of those conditions remain undisclosed. The White House has not commented on whether those demands were addressed in Monday’s security briefing.
The standoff has left global markets in a state of uncertainty, with analysts warning that prolonged disruptions could further destabilize energy supplies. While the Iranian proposal offers a potential path forward, the Trump administration’s insistence on addressing Iran’s nuclear program—and its reluctance to ease sanctions—suggests that any resolution will require significant concessions from both sides.
