• 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.

Antoine Fuqua has revealed that his only contact with Michael Jackson was a brief phone call, and that the King of Pop simply wanted to say hello and tell him he liked his work.

Speaking to Variety as his Michael biopic opened to $97 million in the US and $217.4 million worldwide, the best opening weekend of his career, Fuqua reflected on the personal connection, or lack of one, he had with his subject. 

Asked whether he had ever met Jackson, the director was candid. 

“No, just a phone call when I was being considered as a director for Remember the Time. I was in Italy, so I couldn’t be part of the bidding on that one. He was a quiet, sweet guy. It wasn’t so much an audition or anything like that, it was more him saying hello and how much he liked my work. It was like he was touching base with me. It wasn’t a long phone call.”

Fuqua came to the project through an unexpected route. 

While working on Equalizer 3 with cinematographer Bob Richardson, he was shown a photograph of Richardson alongside a figure who bore a striking resemblance to Jackson. 

It turned out to be Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s nephew, during a screen test. 

“It blew me away,” Fuqua said. Producer Graham King subsequently flew out to meet him on the Amalfi Coast to discuss the film, and from there the director was on board.

The road to the finished film was not without significant complications.

The movie’s original ending featured Jackson accuser Jordan Chandler, whose settlement with the singer’s estate legally prevented him from being depicted on screen. 

The discovery came after production had wrapped, forcing 20 days of reshoots at an additional cost of $50 million, bringing the film’s total net production cost to $200 million. 

Fuqua had to pass on other projects to accommodate the extra shooting.

He spoke to Variety while travelling to Italy, where he is currently shooting Hannibal, a Netflix feature starring Denzel Washington. 

Fuqua previously directed music videos for Toni Braxton, Stevie Wonder, Prince and Coolio, including the iconic Gangsta’s Paradise.

Alicia Keys has spoken bluntly about the barriers women face in the music industry, describing a deep male network that keeps female producers and engineers locked out, and calling for action rather than frustration.

In an interview with The Times of London, the 17-time Grammy winner pointed to a striking statistic to underline the scale of the problem. 

“The music world becomes a good old boy network and all the incredible women working as engineers and producers are not given an open door,” she said. 

“Women make up 2 per cent of the entire business. I’m a producer and here we are, doing a bunch of work, killing it, so it’s shocking that the number is so small. Rather than just being pissed off about that, it was time to create opportunities.”

Keys also reflected on the feminist themes that run through her own music, pushing back gently on the idea that they were always deliberately placed. 

“I didn’t aim to come up with feminist message songs, and most of them were written because I wasn’t feeling that strong so I had to give myself a pep talk to keep going, but it is a thread through my work,” she said.

She also used the interview to offer a candid warning to emerging artists about the business side of the industry, urging them to take ownership of their creative work from the outset. 

“No one tells you these things,” she said. 

“You deal with all these executives and lawyers who love to take their percentages and overcharge you, but they never say, ‘How can we ensure you’re here to stay?'” 

Her advice: become your own advocate as early as possible.