US President Donald Trump will convene a meeting with his top national security and foreign policy advisors later on Monday to discuss the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to US media reports. The talks come as negotiations between the two sides appear to have reached an impasse, with no clear path forward.
Barak Ravid, a global affairs correspondent for Axios, reported that Trump is expected to hold a session with his senior team to evaluate options. ABC News, citing two unnamed US officials, added that a new proposal from Tehran to resolve the conflict fell short of Washington's red lines. That proposal reportedly centered on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending a US naval blockade of the vital waterway, with nuclear negotiations postponed for a later stage.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's recent visit to Islamabad, which hosted the first and only round of unsuccessful talks between Washington and Tehran, had raised hopes for fresh negotiations over the weekend. However, Trump scrapped a planned trip by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, telling Fox News that if Iran wanted talks, "they can come to us, or they can call us."
Tehran Blames Washington
Speaking from St Petersburg, where he is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Araghchi blamed Washington for the failure of the talks. "The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands," he said on Monday. Araghchi is also planning a visit to Oman as part of a whirlwind diplomatic tour that has included stops in Pakistan and Russia.
In a sign that backchannel efforts are ongoing, Iran's state-run Fars news agency reported that Tehran had passed "written messages" to the US via Pakistan, outlining red lines on nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz. The agency noted that these messages were not part of formal negotiations.
The ceasefire in the Iran war has so far held, but its economic shockwaves continue to reverberate globally. Tehran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off flows of oil, gas, and fertiliser, sending prices soaring and raising fears of food insecurity in developing countries. In response, the US has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports in the waterway and beyond.
Trump faces domestic pressure as fuel prices rise following Iran's closure of Hormuz, with mid-term elections due in November. Polls show the war is unpopular among Americans. The situation has also impacted European markets, as European markets opened higher amid stalled talks and rising oil prices.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) have stated they have no intention of lifting their market-shaking blockade, describing control of the waterway "and maintaining the shadow of its deterrent effects over America...is the definitive strategy" of Tehran. The strait was on the agenda during Araghchi's trip to Oman, which lies on the other side of the waterway from Iran. "The safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is an important global issue. Naturally, as the two coastal countries of this strait, we must speak with each other so that our common interests are secured," Araghchi said from St Petersburg.
Russian and Iranian state media confirmed Araghchi would speak with Putin, citing officials from their respective governments. The diplomatic efforts come as European leaders have also been engaged in broader security discussions, with EU mutual defence clause complements NATO amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
