Iran Offers Hormuz Halt for End of US Blockade

Iran has offered to halt its military operations in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States ending its naval blockade on Iranian ports and ceasing hostilities, according to officials familiar with the proposal transmitted through Pakistani intermediaries.

The offer, discussed in closed-door talks over the weekend, calls for a phased de-escalation prioritizing the reopening of the strait, a vital chokepoint for one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments. Nuclear program discussions would be deferred until after maritime access is restored and the current ceasefire, extended indefinitely last week, transitions to a permanent end of the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered the proposal amid intensified diplomacy, shuttling between mediators in Pakistan and Oman before traveling to St. Petersburg on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin praised the Iranian people's resistance and pledged Moscow's support for peace efforts, stating Russia would do "everything possible" to achieve a resolution in the Middle East. Araghchi highlighted the depth of the Russia-Iran...