Iran said to offer US deal to reopen Hormuz, end war and put off nuclear talks

Iran said to offer US deal to reopen Hormuz, end war and put off nuclear talks

 TOI STAFF and AGENCIES

Iran has proposed a deal with the United States to reach an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, while delaying negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program to a later stage, according to a report Sunday, after hoped-for talks in Pakistan over the weekend failed to materialize.

The Axios report, citing a US official and two sources familiar with the matter, was published as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefly returned to Islamabad after visiting Oman on Saturday, despite US President Donald Trump signaling that he did not plan to dispatch a negotiating team anytime soon.

Instead, after calling off a planned delegation to Pakistan at the last minute the previous day, the president said on Sunday that the Iranian team could reach Washington by phone if they wished to speak, and Araghchi departed Pakistan again, this time headed for Russia.

According to Axios, Iran’s attempt to kickstart negotiations again by solving the issues centered on the Strait of Hormuz was conveyed to the US by Pakistani mediators.

Trump was expected to discuss the Iranian proposal and other issues held up in the stalled negotiations during a Situation Room meeting with national security and foreign policy teams on Monday, Axios said.

But resolving the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the US blockade and allowing Iran’s oil exports to flow again would leave Trump and Washington without much leverage for future negotiations.

It is also unclear whether Trump would agree to push off the nuclear talks to an unspecified later date, given that he has repeatedly insisted that he will settle for nothing less than Tehran’s commitment to ending its nuclear activities.

The status of Iran’s enriched uranium has long been at the center of tensions. Tehran has 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels, with no peaceful application.

Israel, which has not been involved in the negotiations in Pakistan, has also insisted that the US must put an end to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions as part of any deal to end the fighting. Pakistan, itself a nuclear power, does not recognize Israel.

Meanwhile, Iran’s top diplomat landed in St. Petersburg on Monday for the final leg of his regional tour.

Iranian state media reported that Araghchi would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, including the war.

Araghchi said the consultations in Pakistan over the weekend had reviewed conditions under which Iran-US talks could resume, stressing that Tehran would seek to secure its rights and national interests following weeks of conflict.

Oil prices rise as hope dims

But his attempts to muster support for resolving the crisis in the strait appeared to have little effect, as oil prices were up more than 1% on Monday, with benchmark Brent crude futures rising $1.35, or 1.3%, to $106.68 a barrel, retreating from early session gains of over $2 a barrel.

New earthquake in Japan: magnitude 6.2 strikes Hokkaido

New earthquake in Japan: magnitude 6.2 strikes Hokkaido

Sweden Herald

An earthquake struck the island of Hokkaido in Japan early Monday local time.

The country has been hit by several earthquakes in recent weeks, and Monday's quake reached magnitude 6.2.

No tsunami warning has been issued after the quake, which struck about 200 kilometers east of the city of Sapporo. It is not yet clear whether anyone was injured.

According to Japanese authorities, the probability of more earthquakes in the area is high in the coming days. Last week, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 occurred off the coast of Iwate Prefecture.

Report: Iran submits new Hormuz-focused proposal to US

Report: Iran submits new Hormuz-focused proposal to US

Israel National News

Iran has transmitted a revised diplomatic proposal to the United States through Pakistani intermediaries, Axios reported on Sunday night. 

The proposal suggests that negotiations over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to the current conflict be prioritized, while discussions on its nuclear program are postponed to a later stage, a US official and two sources familiar with the matter told Axios.

The proposal is viewed as an attempt to break the current deadlock in talks and manage internal divisions within Iran’s leadership regarding the level of nuclear concessions it is prepared to make in exchange for an agreement with the Trump administration.

However, US officials note that addressing the Hormuz issue first, including lifting the American blockade, could significantly reduce Washington’s leverage in future negotiations. Without that leverage, the US would face greater difficulty in pressing Tehran to relinquish its enriched uranium stockpile or agree to a long-term halt in enrichment activities.

President Donald Trump has made resolving Iran’s nuclear capabilities a central objective of his administration’s approach to the conflict, whether through diplomacy or military pressure.

Trump is expected to convene a Situation Room meeting on Monday with senior national security and foreign policy officials to assess the stalled negotiations and evaluate possible next steps, according to three US officials who spoke to Axios.

One of the officials said the meeting will focus on the breakdown in talks and available strategic options moving forward.

Trump on Saturday cancelled planned talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan. His senior envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had been scheduled to travel to Islambad for the talks.

“I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going to Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership,’" he continued. “Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!"

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Pakistan, where he met with local mediators, concluded without tangible progress.

Following the Pakistan talks, Araghchi met with officials in Oman in Muscat on Sunday, where discussions reportedly centered on the Strait of Hormuz. He then returned to Islamabad for additional consultations.

On Monday, Araghchi was expected to travel onward to Moscow for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Behind closed doors, sources familiar with the discussions say Araghchi and Pakistani officials explored a new phased approach aimed at bypassing the current impasse over Iran’s nuclear program.

One source said Araghchi conveyed to mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar over the weekend that there is no internal consensus within Iran regarding US demands for a prolonged suspension of uranium enrichment and the removal of enriched material from the country.

According to the sources, the revised Iranian-Pakistani framework prioritizes resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis and ending the US blockade first. Under the proposal, either an extended ceasefire or a permanent end to hostilities would be established.

Only after that stage, the proposal suggests, would nuclear negotiations begin.

Pakistani intermediaries have already forwarded the proposal to the White House, though it remains unclear whether Washington is prepared to consider it.

Israel’s Ongoing Ingathering And The Echo of Ancient Prophecy

Israel’s Ongoing Ingathering And The Echo of Ancient Prophecy

PNW STAFF

The scene at Ben Gurion Airport on April 23 carried a significance that stretched far beyond a routine arrival. As 240 members of the Bnei Menashe community stepped onto Israeli soil, many wept, embraced relatives, and lifted prayers of thanksgiving. Their journey--from remote regions of northeastern India to the modern state of Israel--was not merely geographic. For many, it marked the culmination of generations of longing tied to identity, history, and faith.

This latest arrival, part of "Operation Wings of Dawn," represents the beginning of a broader effort to bring thousands more from this community home. The Bnei Menashe trace their lineage to the biblical tribe of Manasseh, one of the "lost tribes" of ancient Israel. While scholars debate aspects of that claim, what is beyond dispute is their persistent preservation of Jewish customs across centuries and continents. Their Aliyah--the Hebrew term for immigration to Israel--reflects a powerful combination of cultural continuity and spiritual conviction.

Yet this story is not unfolding in isolation. It is part of a much larger and ongoing movement. Even amid the conflicts with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, Jewish immigration to Israel has not slowed--it has, in some respects, intensified.

Recent figures underscore this reality. According to data from The Jewish Agency for Israel and Israel's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, approximately 47,000 Jewish immigrants arrived in Israel in 2023. While that number dipped slightly in 2024 due to the war, tens of thousands still made the journey. 

France, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States remain among the top countries of origin, with notable increases from Western Europe. In France alone, where concerns about antisemitism have surged in recent years, thousands of Jews have chosen to relocate annually.

This trend reflects a sobering reality. Across parts of Europe, antisemitic incidents have risen sharply, particularly following the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. Jewish communities in cities like Paris, Berlin, and London have reported increased harassment, threats, and violence. For many families, the decision to move to Israel is no longer just ideological--it is deeply personal and rooted in a desire for security and belonging.

At the same time, Israel continues to position itself as a refuge and homeland for Jews worldwide, even under the strain of war. Programs designed to assist new immigrants--housing, language training, employment support--have expanded despite national security challenges. Cities like Nof HaGalil and others in the north are preparing to absorb new arrivals, including the Bnei Menashe families who will soon begin rebuilding their lives.

For observers who view these developments through a biblical lens, the implications are profound. The prophet Ezekiel wrote of a time when God would gather the people of Israel "from the nations" and bring them back into their own land. Passages such as Ezekiel 36 and 37 describe not only a physical return but a broader restoration--national, spiritual, and covenantal.

For centuries, such prophecies were read as distant or symbolic, particularly during long periods when the Jewish people lived dispersed across the globe. Yet the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948--and the steady waves of immigration since--have caused many to revisit those ancient texts with renewed attention.

The arrival of communities like the Bnei Menashe adds a striking dimension to this narrative. Their story suggests that the regathering is not limited to well-known Jewish populations but may extend even to groups long separated by geography and time. Each flight landing in Israel becomes, for some, more than a demographic statistic--it becomes a moment that appears to echo ancient promises.

Despite war, despite global uncertainty, and despite rising hostility in parts of the diaspora, Jewish immigration to Israel continues. Families are still packing their lives into suitcases, boarding planes, and choosing a future in a land that remains both contested and deeply meaningful.

The sight at Ben Gurion Airport was, in many ways, a microcosm of this larger story. Tears, prayers, and reunions marked not just the end of a journey, but the continuation of one--an unfolding chapter in the long and complex history of a people and their land.

Whether viewed through the lens of history, geopolitics, or faith, one thing is clear: the ingathering of the Jewish people is not merely a relic of the past. It is happening now, in real time, with each arrival carrying echoes of both ancient identity and modern urgency.

6.2 Magnitude Quake Strikes Tohoku in Northern Japan

Japan Earthquake Now: 6.2 Magnitude Quake Strikes Tohoku in Northern Japan

Rounak Bagchi

Earlier, a separate magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded in the sea several hundred kilometres south of Hokkaido

A strong earthquake has struck the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, according to US and Japanese monitoring agencies, the latest in a series of tremors affecting the country. The quake, with a magnitude of 6.2, occurred at 05:23 local time on Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, revising an earlier estimate of 6.1. It struck at a depth of 83km (52 miles) in southern Hokkaido. 

No tsunami warning was issued, the agency said. 

The United States Geological Survey assessed that the risk to life and property was likely to be low, noting the relatively sparse population in the affected area, around 200km east of Sapporo.

However, a JMA official warned that "in areas that experienced strong shaking, the danger of falling rocks and landslides has increased". The agency also cautioned that there is a high likelihood of further earthquakes of similar strength in the region over the coming week.

Earlier, a separate magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded in the sea several hundred kilometres south of Hokkaido. The latest tremors follow a warning issued last week by the JMA about an increased risk of a "megaquake" — magnitude 8.0 or higher — after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Iwate Prefecture.

That quake injured six people and caused buildings to sway as far away as Tokyo. It also generated tsunami waves of up to 80cm (31 inches) at a port in Iwate, with smaller waves recorded elsewhere along Japan’s northern coast. 

Following the event, the JMA said "the likelihood of a new, huge earthquake occurring is relatively higher than during normal times". 

Japan lies along the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire", where several tectonic plates meet. The country experiences around 1,500 earthquakes each year, accounting for roughly 18% of the world’s total. 

The nation remains marked by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, a magnitude 9.0 undersea quake that triggered a devastating tsunami and nuclear disaster, leaving around 18,500 people dead or missing.