Entertainment
Iran proposes deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz, defer nuclear talks: report
- Araghchi ‘raised plan’ to defer nuclear talks in Islamabad meetings.
- Tells mediators no consensus how to address American demands.
- Ceasefire can be extended or converted into permanent end to war: proposal.
Iran, through Pakistani mediators, has offered a new proposal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, with nuclear negotiations postponed for a later stage, US media outlet Axios reported, citing an American official and two sources with knowledge of the matter.
Hopes of reviving peace efforts receded on Saturday when US President Donald Trump scrapped a visit to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi shuttled to and from mediators Pakistan and Oman on Sunday before flying to Russia, with the two sides still seemingly far apart on issues including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and access through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war.
“If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We have nice, secure lines,” Trump told “The Sunday Briefing” on Fox News.
“They know what has to be in the agreement. It’s very simple: They cannot have a nuclear weapon; otherwise, there’s no reason to meet,” Trump said.
Iran has long demanded Washington acknowledge its right to enrich uranium, which Tehran says it only seeks for peaceful purposes, but which Western powers say is aimed at building nuclear weapons.
Although a ceasefire has paused full‑scale fighting in the conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, no agreement has been reached on terms to end a war that has killed thousands, driven up oil prices, fuelled inflation and darkened the outlook for global growth.
Axios, while citing two sources with knowledge, reported that the Iranian foreign minister raised the plan to bypass the nuclear issue during his meetings in Islamabad.
According to one of the sources, Araghchi made it clear to the Pakistani, Egyptian, Turkish and Qatari mediators over the weekend that there’s no consensus inside the Iranian leadership about how to address the US demands.
Under the proposal, Axios reported, the immediate focus would be on reopening the strait and lifting the blockade before moving to broader negotiations.
As part of this framework, the existing ceasefire would either be extended for a prolonged period or converted into a permanent end to the war, the sources said.
The proposal envisages that negotiations on the nuclear issue would begin only at a later stage, after maritime access is restored and blockade-related concerns are addressed.
The White House has received the proposal, though it remains unclear whether Washington is prepared to consider or pursue the framework.
“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,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios.
With his approval ratings falling, Trump faces domestic pressure to end the unpopular war. Iran’s leaders, though weakened militarily, have found leverage in negotiations with their ability to stop shipping in the strait, which normally carries a fifth of global oil shipments.
Tehran has largely closed the strait while Washington has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports.
US and Iran’s extensive disagreements
Disagreements between the US and Iran extend beyond Tehran’s nuclear programme and control of the strait.
Trump wants to limit Iran’s support for its regional proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, and curb its ability to strike U.S. allies with ballistic missiles. Iran wants a lifting of sanctions and an end to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah.
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes killed 14 people and wounded 37 on Sunday, the health ministry said. The Israeli military warned residents to leave seven towns beyond the “buffer zone” it occupied before a ceasefire that has failed to fully halt hostilities.
US first lady Melania Trump said on Monday it was time for ABC to “take a stand” on Jimmy Kimmel after a monologue the late-night talk show host delivered prior to a shooting near a gathering of journalists and politicians over the weekend.
“Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behaviour at the expense of our community?” she said in a post on X.
Kimmel, in a parody of the White House Correspondents Dinner that aired last week before the actual event, said: “Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
President Donald Trump and the first lady were rushed out of the dinner on Saturday after a shooting in the lobby of the Washington Hilton. A suspect identified as Cole Allen charged through a checkpoint and fired at Secret Service agents, wounding one, before he was subdued and arrested.
Disney and ABC did not immediately comment.
In September, the head of the Federal Communications Commission pressured broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air. ABC briefly suspended Kimmel’s show that month over comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Hours before the suspension, FCC head Brendan Carr warned that local broadcasters who aired Kimmel could face fines or loss of licenses and said “it’s time for them to step up.” His comments garnered pushback from the entertainment industry and politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who likened his threats to that of an organised crime boss.
In September, Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group briefly took Kimmel’s show off the air on their 70 ABC-affiliated stations, covering nearly a quarter of US households. Carr wants to make it easier for local broadcasters to preempt national programming.
Prince Harry has made a significant statement pointing out urgent humanitarian concerns, drawing attention to the evolving crisis in Ukraine and the growing role of technology in modern mine clearance efforts.
On the ground, the Duke of Sussex saw how old-school manual clearance is being rapidly transformed by innovation.
Drones scanning hazardous land from above, advanced mapping systems flagging threats with precision, and smarter demining techniques are now being used to protect both civilians and the teams working on the front lines.
His comments come at a moment of heightened royal activity, as King Charles is almost set to begin a visit to the United States.
HALO Trust tweeted his remarks on Monday sharing a visit that brought the brutal reality of modern warfare and the technology fighting back into sharp focus.
Ukraine today is widely regarded as one of the most mine contaminated countries on Earth, with entire regions still unsafe long after the fighting has shifted elsewhere.
Harry also witnessed and praised the organisation’s forward thinking approach, stressing that this is about far more than removing explosives.
House of the Dragon lit up CCXP Mexico with the debut of its season three trailer, promising a darker, bloodier chapter in the Game of Thrones prequel saga.
Cast members Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, and Fabien Frankel joined fans in Mexico City on Saturday to tease the upcoming season.
Co creator and showrunner Ryan Condal, appearing via video, described the new installment as “the biggest we’ve made by any margin” dark, funny, action packed, emotional and, of course, “it has lots and lots of dragons.”
The trailer featured Corlys Velaryon declaring, “All that remains is for you to decide what you want from this war,” while Ser Criston Cole warned, “Doom and ruin surround us.”
Smith teased “a lot of battles”.
He said season three aims to be “bigger, bolder, bloodier, more brutal, more dangerous.”
Cooke reflected on Alicent Hightower’s fractured bond with Rhaenyra Targaryen, noting that “to hate someone, there has to be a passion that you have to set fire to.”
Frankel added that his character is now “driven to survive,” while Smith praised Daemon Targaryen’s defiance: “he just doesn’t give a f—: ‘I’ll do what I want, how I want, when I want.’”
With dragons like Caraxes set to dominate the skies, season three promises to deliver the spectacle and intensity fans have come to expect when House of the Dragon returns in June.
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