Efforts to end the war in the Middle East remained at a complete standstill on Tuesday, with the United States skeptical of Tehran's new proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz. The strategically important passage remains effectively closed, under a double blockade, with serious consequences for international navigation and the global economy.
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran appear to have stalled, despite the fact that a ceasefire has been in place for the past three weeks.
The Strait of Hormuz remains de facto closed by Iran, while the US continues to blockade Iranian ports, resulting in navigation being virtually paralyzed.
Restoring free passage through this passage, which is crucial for global oil and gas trade, is a key stake in resolving the conflict, which erupted on February 28 with extensive US and Israeli bombings of Iran.
"We do not consider the war to be over," military spokesman Amir Akraminia told Iranian state television, underlining the climate of tension that still prevails.
The Iranian proposal and the American reaction
Tehran's latest proposal was discussed in Washington by US President Donald Trump and key national security advisers.
According to information from CNN and the Wall Street Journal, which was not denied by American officials, Trump reportedly assessed that there was little chance of accepting the proposal.
The Iranian side demands that the US renounce its "illegal and unreasonable demands", stressing that it is no longer "in a position to dictate policies to independent nations".
According to Axios, in information also relayed by the IRNA agency, Tehran's proposal provides for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the war, with negotiations on the nuclear program to follow in a second phase.
Plan to control the Strait of Hormuz
The Iranian parliament is preparing legislation that would assign control of the Strait of Hormuz to the armed forces.
The plan calls for a ban on the passage of ships bound for Israel, as well as the imposition of transit fees, payable in Iranian rials.
"We cannot tolerate the Iranians trying to create a system where they decide who can use an international sea lane," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News.
Pressure through oil
According to the American Soufan think tank, Tehran believes that the increase in international oil prices and possible shortages will put pressure on Donald Trump to accept a compromise solution.
On the other hand, Washington seems to be betting on blocking Iranian ports to force the Iranian leadership to make concessions, an assessment that many experts consider incorrect.
Donald Trump attacked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz via the Truth Social platform, accusing him of "not knowing what he's talking about" regarding Iran.
Merz had stated that the US "has no strategy" and that Tehran is "humiliating" the US.
At the same time, the US military announced that it had inspected a merchant ship in the Arabian Sea, which was eventually released, as there were suspicions that it was violating the blockade.
Since the imposition of the blockade of Iranian ports on April 13, 39 ships have been forced to turn back, according to the same source.
The ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is already having a significant impact on international markets. The price of Brent North Sea oil closed above $111 a barrel.
Qatar warned of the possibility of a "frozen conflict" in the Gulf, while the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) once again condemned Iran's "blatant attacks", calling for the restoration of trust.
Heavy toll in Iran and Lebanon
The war has claimed the lives of thousands of people, the vast majority in Iran and Lebanon.
A more recent report on the bombing of a school in Minab, southern Iran, on the first day of the conflict, reports 155 dead, including 120 children, instead of the 175 initially announced.
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions killed at least eight people, including three members of the civil defense, while two Lebanese army men were wounded, according to authorities in Beirut.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar assured that Israel has absolutely "no territorial ambitions" in southern Lebanon, where it has deployed units, despite the ceasefire that the two sides accuse each other of violating.
Source: protothema.gr
