Iran stalls US ceasefire proposal

Iran and the United States are still trying to turn an April 8 ceasefire into a broader settlement, but the core disputes have not been resolved. Tehran has answered a U.S. proposal with demands that include war reparations, sanctions relief and a new arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz, while President Donald Trump has publicly rejected the latest Iranian terms as unacceptable. The dispute now spans military de-escalation, shipping access, frozen assets and Iran’s nuclear program. Pakistan remains the main intermediary between the two sides. ### How did the current ceasefire start, and why is it still unsettled? April 8, 2026, is the date the current ceasefire began after Pakistan arranged a conditional two-week halt in fighting between Washington and Tehran, according to the UK House of Commons Library. That truce was later extended, but the same briefing says the talks that followed were left to cover freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programs, reconstruction, sanctions and a longer-term peace agreement. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) May 8 added a new strain. Iran’s foreign ministry said U.S. attacks on two Iranian oil tankers near Jask and on coastal points overlooking the Strait of Hormuz violated the April 8 ceasefire. Tehran said those strikes happened late on May 7 and early on May 8 and accused Washington of breaching both the truce and the U.N. Charter. ### What has Iran put on the table in its latest response? (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) Iran’s latest response includes demands for war reparations, the release of frozen Iranian assets, an end to sanctions and full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, according to CNBC’s account of the negotiations. Reuters reporting surfaced through partner republication said Tehran was reviewing a U.S. peace proposal even though key Iranian demands remained unaddressed. (en.mfa.gov.ir) A separate explainer carried by Reuters partners said the emerging framework was meant to move in stages: formally end the war, address the Hormuz crisis and open a 30-day window for broader negotiations. That same reporting said gaps remained even on that limited plan, including over Iran’s nuclear program. ### Why is the Strait of Hormuz at the center of the talks? (cnbc.com) The Strait of Hormuz has been central since March 22, when Iran’s foreign ministry said the waterway was not closed but that vessels linked to the United States, Israel or other parties participating in attacks on Iran would not qualify as normal, non-hostile passage. Tehran said navigation continued under measures tied to what it called a state of belligerency. (usnews.com) May 17 brought another signal from Tehran. CBS reported that an Iranian official said the country would soon unveil a plan to allow some traffic through the strait for a fee. That fits with other reporting describing Tehran’s call for a new mechanism governing Hormuz as part of its broader counteroffer. ### Where do sanctions and nuclear issues fit into the impasse? September 27, 2025, is the date the United States says U.N. restrictive measures and sanctions on Iran were reimposed after what Washington called Iran’s significant non-performance of its nuclear commitments. (en.mfa.gov.ir) The State Department said last week that new actions against procurement networks followed that snapback and were part of a broader effort to stop Iran from rebuilding military and proliferation-sensitive programs after Operation Epic Fury. (cbsnews.com) April 21, 2026, is when the State Department’s legal adviser said Operation Epic Fury had sought to destroy Iranian missile and naval capabilities and ensure Iran would never have nuclear weapons. U.S. demands in the current diplomacy have therefore run beyond a ceasefire and into permanent restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activity, while reporting on Tehran’s position says Iran has resisted dismantling its facilities and sought to separate some nuclear issues into later negotiations. (state.gov) ### What has Trump said publicly about Iran’s response? May 11 is when Trump said on Truth Social that he had read Iran’s response and did not like it, calling it “totally unacceptable,” according to CNBC. He has also tied any broader settlement to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and to U.S. demands on Iran’s nuclear program. May 18 brought a fresh warning. CBS reported that Trump said “the Clock is Ticking” for Iran, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on May 15 that Tehran could not trust the Americans and was trying to maintain the “shaky” ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance. (state.gov) ### What happens next in the negotiations? Pakistan is still the named intermediary in the talks, and the next phase depends on whether the sides can narrow differences over Hormuz access, sanctions relief and nuclear limits. (cnbc.com) The House of Commons Library says those issues remain part of the same negotiation track, rather than separate files. Any further movement is likely to show up first in statements from Washington, Tehran or Pakistani mediators, and in any formal outline for reopening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. (cbsnews.com) Tehran’s promised traffic plan and any new U.S. response to the 14-point proposal are the next concrete markers to watch. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)