Iran really doesn’t want to give up its nuclear program, and its tactic appears to be to delay repeatedly. The regime proposed a new deal to end the stalemate over ceasefire negotiations with the United States, three sources told Axios Sunday. The new deal would bypass nuclear negotiations altogether — on which the Iranian leadership is divided — and deal first with reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iran. This proposal includes the possibility of a permanent end to the war, with nuclear negotiations delayed to a later date.

This would remove President Donald Trump’s leverage to pressure the Iranians to give up their nuclear program and turn over their entire stock of enriched uranium, both of which have been Trump’s most important war aims. Trump had stressed earlier the same day in a Fox News interview his intention to keep the naval blockade, as its chokehold on Iran will pressure the regime into concessions.

“When you have vast amounts of oil pouring through your system … if for any reason this line is closed because you can’t put it into containers or ships … what happens is that line explodes from within. … They say they only have about three days before that happens,” Trump said.

Three U.S. officials said that Trump will likely conduct a meeting in the Situation Room Monday to discuss the stalemate in negotiations and next steps.

Asked about the new Iranian proposal, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios, “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press. As the president has said, the United States holds the cards and will only make a deal that puts the American people first, never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”