Rubio Dismisses Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Proposal, Nuclear Deadlock Persists
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, insisting that the nuclear issue must be resolved before any agreement on passage through the critical waterway can be reached. The decision means the weeks-long stalemate over the Iran war and the strait blockade is unlikely to break in the near term.
According to Axios, Iran had previously offered a phased deal: it would agree to reopen the world’s most important oil transit route, the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade and halting military operations. However, the proposal explicitly deferred nuclear negotiations to a later date.
Rubio said in a statement on Sunday: “Iran’s proposal is fundamentally flawed. The nuclear issue is a prerequisite for all dialogue, not something that can be addressed later.” The Wall Street Journal cited White House sources saying President Trump remains skeptical of Iran’s latest offer and is unlikely to accept a deal that decouples the nuclear and strait issues.
CNN’s live updates reported that Iran’s oil storage capacity is approaching its limits, and prolonged production cuts could cause permanent damage to its oil field capacity. Meanwhile, the Iran war continues to drive global oil prices higher — BP reported on Monday that its first-quarter profits had more than doubled, directly benefiting from the surge in crude prices.
AP News reported that Iranian officials had previously stated they would be willing to reopen the strait if the US lifted its blockade and ended the war. But Washington maintains that any decision to lift sanctions or halt military operations must be tied to comprehensive verification of Iran’s nuclear program.
Analysts say the stalemate reflects a fundamental divergence in core interests: Iran seeks economic breathing room first, while the US treats nuclear security as a non-negotiable bottom line. If negotiations remain fruitless, global energy markets face even greater uncertainty.