The White House said Monday that US President Donald Trump discussed with his advisors an Iranian proposal regarding the Strait of Hormuz. This comes amid accusations leveled by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi against the United States of thwarting negotiations with his country, during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. For its part, the Lebanese front is witnessing a military escalation, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue military action against Hezbollah, despite the validity of the ceasefire extended for three weeks, by Trump’s decision.

Published on: 04/28/2026 - 04:33 Last updated: 04/28/2026 - 12:03

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused the United States of thwarting negotiations with his country, during a visit to Russia in which he met with President Vladimir Putin, who pledged that Moscow would do “everything in its power” to end the war in the Middle East.

The St. Petersburg stop in northwestern Russia was part of a foreign tour that included the Sultanate of Oman and Pakistan, which mediates between Tehran and Washington, where Putin received Araghchi on Monday morning.

The Russian President addressed his guest by saying that his country "will do everything that serves your interests and the interests of all the peoples of the region, so that peace is achieved as soon as possible," stressing that "Russia, like Iran, intends to continue our strategic relations," praising "the extent of the courage and heroism of the Iranian people in their struggle for their independence and sovereignty," according to what was reported by TASS.

A ceasefire has been in effect for about three weeks, which was reached after more than 40 days of war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Washington and Tehran held a first round of negotiations in Islamabad in early April, but efforts to resume the talks faltered despite Araqchi's return to Pakistan twice over the weekend.

Upon his arrival in Russia, Araqchi blamed “the failure of the previous round of negotiations” on what he described as “exaggerated demands” on the part of the United States, despite the “progress achieved.”

Trump gathers his advisors

In the American capital, President Donald Trump held a meeting with his senior national security advisors to discuss a proposal attributed to Tehran that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the American blockade on Iranian ports.

During a press conference, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt explained that “the proposal is under discussion,” adding, “Once it has been reported, I will confirm that the president met this morning with his national security team,” without revealing whether Trump would agree to the Iranian offer.

Iranian media reported on the exchange of "messages" between Tehran and Washington, while the American website "Axios" reported that the proposal includes reopening the Strait and ending the war, leaving the nuclear file for later discussion, while the "Fars" agency reported that Iran sent "written messages" through Pakistan that included "some red lines" related to the nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that these messages do not constitute part of official negotiations.

For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio considered that the Iranian position on the Strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes, does not meet Washington’s demands. He told Fox News: “If what they mean by opening the Strait is that the Strait is open as long as coordination is made with Iran and its permission is obtained, otherwise it attacks you and you pay it, then this is not an opening of the Strait.”

At the UN Security Council, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Iran to be “prepared to make major concessions” in talks with the United States to end the war, while Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeed Irani stressed that “stability and security of the Gulf and the broader region” will only be achieved through “a permanent cessation of aggression against Iran,” reliable guarantees that it will not be repeated, and respect for “Iran’s legitimate sovereign rights and interests,” accusing the United States of “acting like pirates and terrorists.” In targeting commercial ships.

In parallel, Secretary-General of the United Nations International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, reaffirmed in London that there is “no legal basis” for imposing a transit fee in the Strait of Hormuz.

Read also: Frustrated Lebanese after returning to the south: “Israel destroyed homes, roads and even trees”

Israel continues its strikes in Lebanon

On the other side of the front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon despite the validity of the ceasefire extended for three weeks by Trump’s decision.

In a statement issued by Netanyahu's office, he referred to two central threats from Hezbollah, namely 122 mm rockets and drones, while stressing that dealing with them requires a combination of operational and technical activity.

In Beirut, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun considered that whoever dragged the country into war was “committing treason,” in an implicit criticism of Hezbollah, stressing that the goal of direct negotiations with Israel was to end the war, while the party’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem accused the Lebanese authorities of a “free, humiliating concession” through the direct negotiation option, which he describes as “surrender.”

In Tel Aviv, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz warned Hezbollah's Secretary-General that he was "playing with fire," threatening that this fire would "burn Lebanon," after statements by Qassem in which he vowed to continue operations against Israel.

Militarily, the Israeli army announced on Monday that it had bombed Hezbollah infrastructure “in the Bekaa and in several areas in southern Lebanon,” while the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that Israeli raids on the south had left four dead, including a woman, along with 51 wounded, including three children.

France 24/AFP

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