WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump convened his national security team in the White House Situation Room on Monday to review Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the 21-mile-wide chokepoint through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies transit daily, according to two administration officials familiar with the meeting.
The closed-door session, which lasted just over 90 minutes, included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. Iran’s offer, delivered through Swiss intermediaries late last week, reportedly proposes a phased withdrawal of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast-attack craft from the strait in exchange for the lifting of specific U.S. Sanctions targeting Tehran’s petrochemical exports.
Neither the White House nor the State Department issued a public statement following the meeting. A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal was “under active review” but declined to specify whether the U.S. Would respond formally or through back-channel negotiations. The official emphasized that any easing of sanctions would require “verifiable and irreversible steps” by Iran to de-escalate tensions in the Persian Gulf.
Diplomatic Stakes in a Volatile Waterway
The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint since May 2019, when Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker in retaliation for the U.K.’s detention of an Iranian vessel off Gibraltar. The U.S. Has since bolstered its naval presence in the region, deploying additional destroyers and reconnaissance aircraft to deter Iranian harassment of commercial shipping. Last month, the Pentagon reported a 40% increase in “unsafe and unprofessional” interactions between Iranian vessels and U.S. Warships compared to the same period in 2025.
Iran’s proposal arrives as global oil markets remain sensitive to supply disruptions. Brent crude prices, which spiked to $92 per barrel in early April following a drone strike on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq processing facility, settled at $87.30 on Monday, down 0.8% after news of the potential diplomatic opening. Analysts at the International Energy Agency (IEA) have warned that even a temporary closure of the strait could remove 17 million barrels per day from global supply, triggering a price surge of up to 30%.
Internal Divisions Over Iran Strategy
The Trump administration has been divided over how to respond to Iran’s overtures. Hardliners, including Pompeo and O’Brien, have argued for maintaining maximum economic pressure until Tehran agrees to broader concessions, including limits on its ballistic missile program and support for proxy groups in Syria and Yemen. Others, such as Esper, have privately advocated for a more flexible approach, citing the risk of military escalation in an election year.
In a rare public comment on the matter, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close Trump ally, told reporters on Monday that the administration should “reject any deal that doesn’t address the full scope of Iran’s malign activities.” Graham’s remarks echoed a letter sent last week by 47 Republican senators to the White House, urging Trump to “stand firm” against what they described as Tehran’s “tactical maneuvers to divide the U.S. And its allies.”
Meanwhile, European diplomats have expressed cautious optimism about the proposal. A senior French official, speaking to The New York Times on condition of anonymity, said Paris was “encouraged by any sign of de-escalation” but stressed that “Iran’s actions, not just its words, will determine the path forward.” The European Union has been pushing for a revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump abandoned in 2018, though negotiations have stalled over Iran’s demands for sanctions relief before it returns to compliance.
Next Steps Remain Unclear
The White House has not scheduled a follow-up meeting on the Hormuz proposal, and no timeline has been set for a U.S. Response. A State Department spokesperson said the administration would “consult closely with allies” before making any decisions, though no formal discussions with European or Gulf partners have been announced.
For now, the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, continues its routine patrols of the strait, while Iran’s IRGC has maintained its presence in the area. Neither side has signaled a willingness to back down from its core demands, leaving the world’s most critical oil artery in a state of uneasy limbo.
