Iran Special Report, May 3, 2026

Key Points:

• Iran’s counterproposal to the United States features a three-phase plan aiming first to quickly end the war, guarantee no future combined force strikes on Iran, and address the Strait of Hormuz, while postponing nuclear program talks to a later phase.
• The first phase demands a complete end to the war within 30 days, mutual non-aggression guarantees among the US, Israel, Iran, and allies, lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, compensation to Iran, and US military withdrawal from Iran’s maritime perimeter.
• Iran's plan includes imposing a toll or fee on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with potential war reparations required from "hostile countries," and parliamentary approval of restrictions on which ships may pass through the strait.
• The second phase involves negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, with Iran offering to discuss a pause in uranium enrichment for up to 15 years and possible management of its highly enriched uranium stockpile, though it refuses to dismantle nuclear facilities and demands sanctions relief.
• US President Donald Trump expressed skepticism about the proposal’s acceptability, and Iranian officials maintain the counterproposal focuses solely on ending the war, not nuclear issues, despite reports indicating nuclear discussions are included in later phases.