\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIran is offering to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, two regional officials with knowledge of the proposal said Monday, as the country’s foreign minister made a visit to Russia he said was an opportunity to consult with Moscow regarding the war against Israel and the United States.Iran also wants the U.S. to end its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, said the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.The new proposal, passed to the United States by Pakistan, likely won’t be supported by President Donald Trump, who wants to end Iran\u2019s atomic program as part of an overall deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make the ceasefire permanent.\u201cWe have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us,\u201d Trump said Sunday to Fox News Channel.The Axios news outlet first reported Iran\u2019s proposal.Iran’s foreign minister visits RussiaIran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in St. Petersburg on Monday morning ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. His trip over the weekend has included two stops in Pakistan and a visit to Oman, which shares the strait with Iran.Araghchi\u2019s visit comes as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. in the crucial Strait of Hormuz persists despite a ceasefire, keeping oil prices high.\u201cIt is a good opportunity for us to consult with our Russian friends about the developments that have occurred in relation to the war during this period and what is happening now,\u201d Araghchi said in a video interview posted by IRNA.Talks had been expected in IslamabadPakistan has been seeking to revive stalled talks between Iran and the U.S., and negotiations had been expected in Islamabad over the weekend. But Trump has suggested the talks could take place by phone instead.Araghchi said it was America\u2019s approach that \u201ccaused the negotiations to be delayed.\u201d\u201cThe previous one, despite the progress that had been made, could not achieve its goals,\u201d he said, blaming what he called Washington\u2019s \u201cexcessive demands.\u201dTrump has questioned who is in charge in Iran at the moment and said confusion within its theocracy made it difficult to reach a deal.The White House last week said it would dispatch envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad to follow up on historic face-to-face talks earlier this month. But Araghchi left the Pakistani capital Saturday, and shortly afterward Trump said he had called off the mission because of a lack of progress with Iran.\u201cIf they want, we can talk but we\u2019re not sending people,\u201d Trump told Fox News on Sunday. He said earlier on social media: \u201cAll they have to do is call!!!\u201dAraghchi later returned to Islamabad, and also visited Oman’s capital of Muscat before heading to Russia. He also spoke by phone with counterparts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday.Strait of Hormuz at center of Iran\u2019s discussions in OmanA standoff remains on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas normally passes, as Iran has restricted movement through it and the U.S. enforces a blockade of Iranian ports.The June contract for Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at around $107 per barrel Monday, compared with $72 a barrel before the war began.Oil prices have risen steadily since the war began and tankers full of crude became stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to safely transit through the strait and reach global distribution points.CgpbaWZyYW1lIHNyYz0iaHR0cHM6Ly9oZWFyc3R0ZWxldmlzaW9uZGF0YWpvdXJuYWxpc20uaHR2YXBwcy5jb20vanV4dGFwb3NlLWltYWdlL3N0cmFpdC1vZi1ob3JtdXovMjAyNjA0MDgvanV4dGFwb3NlLmh0bWwiIGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyPSIwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjcwMHB4IiB3aWR0aD0iMTAwJSIgc2Nyb2xsaW5nID0gIm5vIl1bL2lmcmFtZV0=The economic fallout is growing two months into the war as global shipments of not only oil, but also liquefied natural gas, fertilizer and other supplies are disrupted by the near-closure of the strategic strait.Iran wants to persuade Oman to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.Oman\u2019s response wasn\u2019t immediately clear.The official, who is involved in mediation efforts, also said Iran insisted on ending the U.S. blockade before new talks and that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the countries.Trump last week indefinitely extended the ceasefire the U.S. and Iran agreed to on April 7 that has largely halted fighting that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. But a permanent settlement remains elusive in the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken the global economy.Even before Saturday\u2019s developments, Iran\u2019s Foreign Ministry said any talks would be indirect and Pakistani officials would act as go-betweens, reflecting Tehran\u2019s wariness after rounds of indirect talks last year and earlier this year ended with Iran being attacked by the U.S. and Israel.Trump says Iran has offered a \u2018much better\u2019 proposalBoth sides have continued to make military threats. Iran\u2019s joint military command Saturday warned that \u201cif the U.S. continues its aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, banditry, and piracy\u201d it will face a \u201cstrong response.\u201dTrump last week ordered the military to \u201cshoot and kill\u201d small boats that could be placing mines in the waterway.Trump told journalists Saturday that within 10 minutes of him canceling Witkoff and Kushner\u2019s trip to Islamabad, Iran sent a \u201cmuch better\u201d proposal.He did not elaborate but stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran \u201cwill not have a nuclear weapon.\u201d The status of Iran\u2019s enriched uranium has long been at the center of tensions. Tehran has 970 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency.Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,509 people in Lebanon, where the Israel-Hezbollah fighting resumed two days after the Iran war started. Another 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. service members in the region and six U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.Another ceasefire \u2014 between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant Hezbollah group \u2014 has been extended by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.___Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. AP journalist Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tCAIRO \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Iran is offering to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, two regional officials with knowledge of the proposal said Monday, as the country’s foreign minister made a visit to Russia he said was an opportunity to consult with Moscow regarding the war against Israel and the United States.<\/p>\n
Iran also wants the U.S. to end its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, said the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.<\/p>\n
The new proposal, passed to the United States by Pakistan, likely won’t be supported by President Donald Trump, who wants to end Iran\u2019s atomic program as part of an overall deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make the ceasefire permanent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us,\u201d Trump said Sunday to Fox News Channel.<\/p>\n
The Axios news outlet first reported Iran\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n
Iran’s foreign minister visits Russia<\/p>\n
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in St. Petersburg on Monday morning ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. His trip over the weekend has included two stops in Pakistan and a visit to Oman, which shares the strait with Iran.<\/p>\n
Araghchi\u2019s visit comes as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. in the crucial Strait of Hormuz persists despite a ceasefire, keeping oil prices high.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a good opportunity for us to consult with our Russian friends about the developments that have occurred in relation to the war during this period and what is happening now,\u201d Araghchi said in a video interview posted by IRNA.<\/p>\n
Talks had been expected in Islamabad<\/p>\n
Pakistan has been seeking to revive stalled talks between Iran and the U.S., and negotiations had been expected in Islamabad over the weekend. But Trump has suggested the talks could take place by phone instead.<\/p>\n
Araghchi said it was America\u2019s approach that \u201ccaused the negotiations to be delayed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe previous one, despite the progress that had been made, could not achieve its goals,\u201d he said, blaming what he called Washington\u2019s \u201cexcessive demands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump has questioned who is in charge in Iran at the moment and said confusion within its theocracy made it difficult to reach a deal.<\/p>\n
The White House last week said it would dispatch envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad to follow up on historic face-to-face talks earlier this month. But Araghchi left the Pakistani capital Saturday, and shortly afterward Trump said he had called off the mission because of a lack of progress with Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they want, we can talk but we\u2019re not sending people,\u201d Trump told Fox News on Sunday. He said earlier on social media: \u201cAll they have to do is call!!!\u201d<\/p>\n
Araghchi later returned to Islamabad, and also visited Oman’s capital of Muscat before heading to Russia. He also spoke by phone with counterparts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Strait of Hormuz at center of Iran\u2019s discussions in Oman<\/p>\n
A standoff remains on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas normally passes, as Iran has restricted movement through it and the U.S. enforces a blockade of Iranian ports.<\/p>\n
The June contract for Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at around $107 per barrel Monday, compared with $72 a barrel before the war began.<\/p>\n
Oil prices have risen steadily since the war began and tankers full of crude became stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to safely transit through the strait and reach global distribution points.<\/p>\n
The economic fallout is growing two months into the war as global shipments of not only oil, but also liquefied natural gas, fertilizer and other supplies are disrupted by the near-closure of the strategic strait.<\/p>\n
Iran wants to persuade Oman to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.<\/p>\n
Oman\u2019s response wasn\u2019t immediately clear.<\/p>\n
The official, who is involved in mediation efforts, also said Iran insisted on ending the U.S. blockade before new talks and that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the countries.<\/p>\n
Trump last week indefinitely extended the ceasefire the U.S. and Iran agreed to on April 7 that has largely halted fighting that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. But a permanent settlement remains elusive in the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken the global economy.<\/p>\n
Even before Saturday\u2019s developments, Iran\u2019s Foreign Ministry said any talks would be indirect and Pakistani officials would act as go-betweens, reflecting Tehran\u2019s wariness after rounds of indirect talks last year and earlier this year ended with Iran being attacked by the U.S. and Israel.<\/p>\n
Trump says Iran has offered a \u2018much better\u2019 proposal<\/p>\n
Both sides have continued to make military threats. Iran\u2019s joint military command Saturday warned that \u201cif the U.S. continues its aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, banditry, and piracy\u201d it will face a \u201cstrong response.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump last week ordered the military to \u201cshoot and kill\u201d small boats that could be placing mines in the waterway.<\/p>\n
Trump told journalists Saturday that within 10 minutes of him canceling Witkoff and Kushner\u2019s trip to Islamabad, Iran sent a \u201cmuch better\u201d proposal.<\/p>\n
He did not elaborate but stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran \u201cwill not have a nuclear weapon.\u201d The status of Iran\u2019s enriched uranium has long been at the center of tensions. Tehran has 970 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency.<\/p>\n
Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,509 people in Lebanon, where the Israel-Hezbollah fighting resumed two days after the Iran war started. Another 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. service members in the region and six U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.<\/p>\n
Another ceasefire \u2014 between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant Hezbollah group \u2014 has been extended by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. AP journalist Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Iran is offering to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program, two…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":85542,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[211,1872,3065,2175,1502,38,102,34,37,15953,2155,7090,25932,261,181,650,39,55,455,101,24854,51,12746],"class_list":{"0":"post-85557","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-strait-of-hormuz","8":"tag-abbas-araghchi","9":"tag-brent-crude","10":"tag-ceasefire","11":"tag-content","12":"tag-dhnd","13":"tag-donald-trump","14":"tag-hormuz","15":"tag-iran","16":"tag-israel","17":"tag-mediation","18":"tag-moscow","19":"tag-nuclear-program","20":"tag-nuclear-talks","21":"tag-oil-prices","22":"tag-oman","23":"tag-pakistan","24":"tag-persian-gulf","25":"tag-russia","26":"tag-shipping-disruptions","27":"tag-strait-of-hormuz","28":"tag-u-s-blockade","29":"tag-united-states","30":"tag-uranium-enrichment"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116476214267282190","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85557\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}