US Rejects Iranian Proposal to End War Without Nuclear Address

The United States has rejected an Iranian proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade, with officials emphasizing that any deal must address Iran's nuclear program to prevent weapon development. The offer, delivered to the U.S. by Pakistan, emerged as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Russia.

The White House stated that President Donald Trump's national security team discussed the proposal, and Trump would address it later.

US Stance on Nuclear Issue U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in a Fox News interview that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains the core issue. He described the Iranian regime as likely to pursue such weapons if unchanged and said any agreement must definitively block that path.

Rubio added that Iranians are skilled negotiators aiming to buy time, and the U.S. cannot allow that. A senior U.S. State Department official, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, said Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz should prompt global efforts to diversify energy supplies and reduce dependencies.

“We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point." — U.S. Another 23 deaths occurred in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Sixteen Israeli soldiers, 13 U.S. service members, and six U.N. peacekeepers have also been killed. In southern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes hit villages including Chakra, Tebnine, and Kafra, with a drone strike on a motorcycle in Mansouri. Israel's military ordered evacuations in 16 southern Lebanese villages, citing Hezbollah attacks. In Bahrain, 30 people received sentences for alleged spying for Iran and supporting attacks, including five life terms and 25 ten-year terms.”

In southern Gaza, a 9-year-old boy named Adel al-Najjar was killed by Israeli fire while collecting firewood in Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital. The incident occurred 400 meters west of the Yellow Line separating Israeli-controlled areas. The boy's younger brother died a month earlier in a similar incident.

Since an October ceasefire in Gaza, at least 818 Palestinians, including 226 children and 179 women, have been killed near military zones. A study by aid group Mercy Corps found 96% of Gaza's cropland damaged or inaccessible, with only 7% of agricultural infrastructure functional.

The group linked this to a food crisis and warned of long-term recovery challenges due to restrictions and contamination.

Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed de-escalation efforts with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who appreciated Pakistan's outreach to the U.S. and Iran. Sharif reaffirmed commitment to peace and stability. Iran is running out of oil storage amid the U.S. blockade, with 12 to 22 days of capacity left, potentially forcing a cut of 1.5 million barrels per day in production, according to Bloomberg.

Iranian oil tankers are clustering short of the blockade line. Trump stated that Iran informed the U.S. it is in a state of collapse and wants the Strait opened soon. Prospects for a deal appear dim as the blockade targets Iran's oil infrastructure.