Trump Rejects Iran's Proposal on Hormuz, Blockade to Continue Until Nuclear Agreement
US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal, which offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the condition that the US lifts its naval blockade. Trump asserted that the naval blockade will continue until a nuclear agreement is reached between Washington and Tehran.
Iran also proposed delaying nuclear negotiations to the next stage after the Strait of Hormuz is reopened and the US naval blockade is lifted.
In an interview with US media outlet Axios, as reported by Anadolu Agency and quoted by detikNews on Thursday (30/4/2026), Trump claimed that Tehran wants to reach an agreement to lift the naval blockade imposed by Washington on Iranian ports.
“They (Iran) want to resolve this issue. They don’t want me to maintain the blockade. I don’t want to do it (lift the blockade), because I don’t want them to have nuclear weapons,” Trump said in the interview.
Trump stated that he chooses to maintain the naval blockade to pressure Iran regarding its nuclear programme. Trump emphasised that his primary goal is to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“This blockade is somewhat more effective than bombing. They’re choked like a stuffed pig. And it will get worse for them. They can’t have nuclear weapons,” Trump told Axios.
Trump described Iran’s oil storage and pipelines as “almost exploding” because they cannot export oil due to the US naval blockade. Several analysts doubt whether Tehran is in immediate danger regarding that sector.
Several sources told Axios that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has prepared plans for a “short and powerful” wave of airstrikes to break the diplomatic deadlock if Iran does not yield. However, according to those Axios sources, Trump has not yet authorised any military action against Iran.
Trump stated that negotiations with Iran are ongoing and that there has been significant progress with Tehran.
“The question is whether they will go far enough or not. Right now, there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will never be nuclear weapons,” the US President asserted.
He added that it is time for Iran to say: “We surrender.”
Meanwhile, the Iranian side insisted that it does not agree with Trump’s assessment. An Iranian security source quoted by Press TV on Wednesday (29/4) said that the US naval blockade “will soon be responded to with practical and unprecedented actions.”
That Iranian security source emphasised that Iran’s armed forces “believe that patience has its limits and punitive responses are necessary” if the US naval blockade continues.