A new proposal, conveyed to the U.S. through Pakistani intermediaries, focuses first on resolving the crisis over the Strait of Hormuz and the American blockade. As part of this, the ceasefire would be extended for a longer period, or the parties would agree to a permanent end to the war. Under this proposal, nuclear negotiations would only begin at a later stage, after the strait is reopened and the blockade is lifted. The White House has received the proposal, but it is unclear whether the U.S. is willing to examine it. "These are sensitive diplomatic talks, and the U.S. will not negotiate through the media. As the president has said, the United States holds the cards and will only strike a deal that puts the American people first, never allowing Iran to possess nuclear weapons," White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Axios. Diplomacy is currently at an impasse, and the Iranian leadership is divided over which nuclear concessions should be on the table. The Iranian proposal would bypass this issue on the path to a quicker agreement. But lifting the blockade and ending the war would strip President Trump of leverage in any future negotiations to remove Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium and persuade Tehran to halt enrichmentโ€”two key war goals for Trump. Trump is expected to hold a Situation Room meeting on Iran on Monday with his top national security and foreign policy team, according to three U.S. officials. One source said Trump's team would discuss the stalemate in negotiations and potential next steps. Trump hinted in a Fox News interview on Sunday that he wants to maintain the naval blockade choking Iran's oil exports, hoping it will force Tehran to yield within the next few weeks. "When you have massive amounts of oil flowing through the system... if for any reason this pipeline line is shut down because you can't put it into containers or ships... what happens is that pipeline line explodes from within. ... They say they only have about three days before that happens," Trump said. The crisis in U.S.-Iran negotiations deepened over the weekend after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's visit to Pakistan ended without progress. The White House announced that Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would meet with Araghchi in Islamabad, but the Iranians were unwilling to make any promises. Trump told Axios that Iran's stance led him to cancel that trip. "I don't see the point of sending them on an 18-hour flight in the current situation. It's too long. We can do it by phone. The Iranians can call us if they want. We're not going to travel just to sit there," Trump said. On Sunday, Araghchi discussed the Strait of Hormuz with Omani officials in Muscat, then returned to Islamabad for a second round of talks. Araghchi traveled to Russia, where he will discuss the Middle East situation with Russian leadership. One source said Araghchi made it clear over the weekend to Pakistani, Egyptian, Turkish, and Qatari intermediaries that there is no consensus within the Iranian leadership on how to respond to U.S. demands. The U.S. wants Iran to halt uranium enrichment for at least ten years and remove its enriched uranium from the country.