Iran has put forward a revised diplomatic framework to the United States through Pakistani mediators, proposing that efforts focus first on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the current conflict, while postponing negotiations over its nuclear program, according to a report Sunday night.

Sources familiar with the discussions told Axios that the Iranian proposal aims to prioritize maritime access and de-escalation before addressing the nuclear issue. A U.S. official and two individuals briefed on the matter said Tehran is attempting to break the current stalemate while navigating internal disagreements over how far it is willing to go in limiting its nuclear activities.

American officials, however, are wary of such sequencing. They believe that resolving the Hormuz situation first, particularly if it involves easing the U.S. blockade, would weaken Washington’s negotiating position. Without that leverage, they fear it would be more difficult to compel Iran to give up its enriched uranium stockpile or commit to long-term restrictions on enrichment.

President Donald Trump has made curbing Iran’s nuclear capabilities a central pillar of his administration’s strategy, whether through diplomatic engagement or increased pressure.

According to three U.S. officials cited in the report, Trump is expected to gather senior national security and foreign policy advisers in the Situation Room on Monday to review the impasse and consider possible paths forward. One official said the meeting would center on the collapse of recent talks and the options available going forward.

Over the weekend, Trump called off a planned round of negotiations that had been set to take place in Islamabad. Senior envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been slated to travel there for discussions with Iranian representatives.

“I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership,’” he continued. “Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi concluded a visit to Pakistan without any significant breakthroughs after meeting with local intermediaries.

Following those talks, Araghchi traveled to Muscat, Oman, on Sunday, where discussions reportedly focused on the Strait of Hormuz, before returning to Islamabad for additional meetings.

He is expected to continue on to Moscow on Monday for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Behind the scenes, officials involved in the talks say Araghchi and Pakistani mediators explored a phased approach designed to move past the current deadlock over Iran’s nuclear program.

One source said Araghchi told mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar that Iran’s leadership remains divided over U.S. demands for a long-term halt to uranium enrichment and the removal of enriched material from the country.

Under the revised framework being circulated, the immediate priority would be resolving the Hormuz crisis and lifting the U.S. blockade. This would be followed by either a prolonged ceasefire or a permanent cessation of hostilities.

Only after those steps, according to the proposal, would negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program begin.

Pakistani officials have already relayed the plan to the White House, though it remains unclear whether the U.S. is willing to entertain the proposal.

White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said: “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the US 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.”

{Matzav.com}