On Sunday the Foreign Minister of Iran visited Pakistan to deliver a new proposal to end the USraeli war against Iran. The Pakistanis, with Saudi and Chinese backing, are mediating talks between the U.S. and Iran.
The Iranian proposal foresees three steps:
- A peace agreement with some guarantee that the U.S. and Israel will refrain from any further attack on Iran. Following that:
- An agreement to lift the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. blockade of Iranian sea transport. Iran will insist of staying in control of the Strait and on collecting contributions for its reconstruction from each ship that passes through. Following that:
- Talks about the nuclear issues.
The Trump administration does not like (archived) the proposal but does not know what else it can do:
President Trump has told advisers he is not satisfied with Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, according to multiple people briefed on discussions in the White House Situation Room on Monday.
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Iran’s proposal to open the strait has been subject to a vigorous debate inside the administration over whether the United States or Iran has more leverage, and which country is better positioned to endure the economic hardship the closure of the waterway has created.
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Some administration officials believe that continuing the blockade for two more months would cause significant long-term damage to Tehran’s energy industry. Oil wells cannot be turned on and off, and they would be damaged if they are forced to shut down, incurring costly repairs. Iran, these officials argue, will make a deal to avoid such long-term problems.But others in the administration have said the assessment is flawed, noting that Iran’s positions have hardened, and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has only solidified its hold on power.
The U.S. government has assessed that Iranian negotiators have not been authorized — either by the supreme leader or by senior Revolutionary Guards officials — to make concessions on the nuclear program. Without a resumption of military action, there is little reason to think the Iranian position will shift.
Even if bombing resumed, there is little evidence that would alter Iran’s decision-making process.
The U.S. has lost its war on Iran. Not even one of its strategic goals has been achieved. All its military/tactical actions, intended to disarm Iran, have failed to reach their aims.
By taking control of the Strait of Hormuz Iran delivered the checkmate.
The only valid path for the U.S. is to retreat. Making peace and reopening the Strait would at least limit the enormous damage the war has already done to the global economy. It would also limit the damage the war has caused to long term U.S. relations with allies like the Gulf States, Thailand or Germany.
But the Israel lobby, with its strong influence over the White House, will not allow that to happen. It will push for another round of bombing even as Iranian retaliation is likely to cause severe damage to Israel and the Gulf states. In the lobby’s view Israel must achieve hegemony in the Middle East or will be destined to vanish.
Instead of finding solutions for his dilemma Trump is trying to escape from reality:
Iran has just informed us that they are in a “State of Collapse.” They want us to “Open the Hormuz Strait,” as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation (Which I believe they will be able to do!). Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
(Donald J. Trump – TS: Apr 28 2026, 9:29 AM ET )
I wonder what Trump is expecting to achieve with writing such factless gibberish.
Currently the British king is on a state visit in Washington DC. It would be a diplomatic affront for the U.S. to bomb Iran while he is in town. On Friday, after the king has left and the stock markets closed, Trump will probably give a go for another round of bombing which will again achieve little.
A week from now Trump’s problem will only be bigger.