A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that a proposal from Iran, which has been rejected by U.S. president Donald?Trump so far, would end the U.S. ban on Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Talks on Iran's nuclear program could be held later.

Trump, who has repeatedly said that Iran will 'never' have a nuclear weapon said he wasn't satisfied with the latest Iranian offer for talks on Friday, while Iran’s Foreign Minister said Tehran is ready for diplomacy, if the United States alters its approach.

Trump said that he also did not prefer military action against Iran "on a humanitarian basis" and that he didn't need the permission of the leaders in the U.S. Congress to extend the war past a law-set deadline for that day, because the ceasefire "terminated hostilities".

Do we want to just go and blast them out and finish them forever?" Do we want to make a deal or just blast them out of existence? When asked by reporters at the White House about his options, he replied: "Or do we want to try and make a deal?"

Trump stated in Florida that the United States will not "end its confrontation with Iran prematurely" and then have a problem in three more years.

Trump, despite saying he's not in a hurry, is facing domestic pressures to break Iran’s hold on this strait. This has stifled 20% of world oil and gas and driven up U.S. fuel prices. Trump's Republican Party is at risk of facing a backlash from voters over rising prices in the midterm congressional elections that will be held in November.

TRUMP? SPENDS A DAY ON THE GOLF COURSE

Trump spent Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago Resort and the Trump National Golf Club near Jupiter. He was scheduled to visit Trump National Doral, a golf resort outside Miami that is hosting the PGA Cadillac Championship, in the evening. The United States, Israel and other countries suspended their bombing campaigns against Iran about four weeks ago. However, they appear to be no closer to an agreement to end the war, which has disrupted global energy supplies and roiled the global markets.

Iran has blocked nearly all shipping in the Gulf except for its own since more than two months. The U.S. blocked ships leaving Iranian ports last month.

Washington has said repeatedly that it will not end this war, which has resulted in thousands of deaths, without an agreement that prevents the?Iranians from ever obtaining nuclear weapons. This was the main goal Trump cited in February when he launched his strikes during nuclear talks. Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful.

The senior Iranian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss confidential diplomatic issues, said that Tehran's latest proposal to postpone nuclear talks until a later date was a major shift meant to facilitate an agreement.

According to?the proposal', the war will end with the guarantee that Israel and America won't attack again. Iran would open the strait and the United States lift their blockade.

Iran would demand that Washington acknowledge its right to enrich uranium to be used for peaceful purposes even if Washington agrees to suspend the program.

The official stated that "under this framework, the negotiations over the more complex nuclear issue?have been pushed to the final phase to create a conducive atmosphere."

Other news agencies have reported in the last week that Tehran is proposing to reopen strait until nuclear issues are resolved. This official confirmed the new timeline was now spelled out by a formal proposal that had been conveyed to United States via mediators. (Reporting and editing by Ross Colvin, Franklin Paul and David Brunnstrom)

(source: Reuters)