The stalemate in talks to end the war between Washington and Tehran reflected the complexity of the dispute over opening the Strait of Hormuz, as the US administration studied the Iranian offer and warned Qatar of a “frozen conflict,” while a Gulf summit in Jeddah denounced the attacks attributed to Iran.

Published on: 04/29/2026 - 03:29 Last updated: 04/29/2026 - 09:38

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Talks to end the war in the Middle East are witnessing a stalemate, while the United States says it is studying new Iranian proposals to open the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran asserts that Washington is no longer in a position to impose its conditions.

Data indicate that Iran has practically closed the vital strait for oil and liquefied natural gas exports since the start of the US-Israeli attack two months ago, at a time when Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, turning the future of navigation in the region into the main focus of tension.

White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt explains that Washington is considering a new Iranian proposal in negotiations mediated by Pakistan, while CNN believes that President Donald Trump will not agree to the offer, which includes - according to reports - opening the strait and lifting the blockade on the ports as a first step while postponing the controversial issues.

It is noteworthy that Trump gathered his national security team on Monday to discuss the Iranian file without issuing an official statement, but CNN quoted two sources as saying that he hinted at rejecting an offer to open the strait without addressing the nuclear issue.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio insists that “it is clear that we will not negotiate through the media,” considering the Iranian offer “better than what we expected them to make,” and his insistence that Tehran must be prevented “from possessing a nuclear weapon” in any agreement.

For its part, Tehran stresses that Washington is not authorized to impose conditions, as state television quotes Defense Ministry spokesman Reza Talaei Nik as saying that “the United States is no longer in a position that allows it to impose its policies on independent countries,” adding that Washington “accepts that it must abandon its illegal and irrational demands.”

Trump continues his political attack by criticizing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after statements about the Iran war in which he talked about “humilizing” Washington. The American president wrote on “Truth Social” that “German Chancellor Friedrich Merz thinks there is nothing wrong with Iran possessing a nuclear weapon. He does not know what he is talking about!”

Read also: The Lebanese President confirms that he will not accept a “humiliation” agreement and that the goal of negotiating with Israel is to end the war

"Frozen conflict"

Mediations are still unable to achieve a final halt to the war and reopen the Strait, despite the ceasefire being in effect for about three weeks, noting that one-fifth of the global production of oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through it, which made its closure confuse the energy markets and worry the Gulf countries that depend on these exports.

Qatar warns of the dangers of the continuation of the situation, as Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari says, “We do not want hostilities to return to the region any time soon, and we do not want to see a frozen conflict reignited whenever there is a political reason,” adding, “We very much look forward to ending this war in a sustainable manner that takes into account all our concerns in the region and beyond.”

Passing a gas tanker

The Iranian Shura Council is preparing to discuss a law that places the strait under the authority of the armed forces, and includes preventing Israeli ships from crossing and imposing fees in Iranian riyals, which Rubio rejects, saying, “The Iranians cannot be allowed to create a system in which they decide who can use an international waterway and how much they must pay for it.”

Kepler data shows that the LNG tanker Mubariz, affiliated with the UAE company ADNOC, left the Gulf in April carrying 132,890 cubic meters of gas, in the first passage of its kind since the closure of the strait.

Gulf summit in Jeddah

These developments come as Washington canceled a second round of negotiations in Pakistan, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi turned to contacts and visits, the most prominent of which was a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while blaming the failure of the negotiations on American “excessive demands” and stressing his country’s resilience despite the raids and siege.

Residents in Tehran are complaining about the deterioration of their economic conditions, and Farshad, the owner of a small enterprise, says that everything is “on hold” and that “the country is in a state of comprehensive economic collapse,” in parallel with the ban on exporting steel products after targeting major factories.

Iran continues to launch missiles and drones towards Israel and the Gulf states, while the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council denounce “blatant Iranian attacks” during an extraordinary summit in Jeddah. Bahrain issues prison sentences to 30 people on charges of communicating with Tehran and supporting its attacks, while Israeli raids on southern Lebanon kill at least eight people, including three members of the Civil Defense, with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirming that his country “does not have any ambitions in the lands of Lebanon” and that the deployment of its forces Its goal is "to protect our citizens."

France 24/AFP

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