Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and establishing a formal truce with the United States as immediate steps to end the two month war, while deferring contentious nuclear talks to a later phase. However, President Donald Trump is reportedly unhappy with the offer, viewing it as insufficiently addressing Washington's core security demands and further dimming hopes for quick de-escalation amid global energy disruptions and rising inflation.

The proposal relayed through Pakistani intermediaries prioritises lifting the US naval blockade and restoring shipping through the world's most critical oil chokepoint, promising economic relief to markets hammered by two months of conflict. Tehran argues this "Hormuz-first" sequence builds trust for subsequent nuclear negotiations, but US officials see it as a delay tactic that sidesteps Iran's uranium enrichment and missile programs. Trump's dissatisfaction echoes earlier rejections of phased deals, with sources indicating he wants ironclad nuclear limits upfront alongside any Strait reopening. The standoff has already spiked energy prices, strained global supply chains, and fueled inflation worldwide, making a breakthrough urgent yet elusive as both sides dig in.

Trump's reported unhappiness with Iran's truce before nukes formula underscores the deepening US-Iran divide, where economic pressures clash with strategic red lines. Without bridging this gap, the Hormuz blockade risks prolonging a war that continues to destabilise energy markets and global economies.