Iran Stalls Strait of Hormuz Reopening as Trump Presses Wider Deal — Sky News

Sky news reports diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war stalled again over the weekend as Iran held to its demand that the United States lift its blockade and end the war before the Strait of Hormuz reopens. Two ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, tightening pressure on talks that were already divided over the terms of any ceasefire.

Trump’s Wider Deal Demand

Donald Trump wants a broader deal that would end Iran’s nuclear program and address its missile program and support for regional proxies. That position leaves the negotiations tied to issues beyond a ceasefire, and it keeps the dispute centered on the scope of any agreement rather than on a narrow stop in the fighting.

Araghchi Meets Putin in St. Petersburg

Abbas Araghchi arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday, April 27, 2026, to attend talks with Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin also shook hands with Kazem Gharibabadi in St. Petersburg on Monday, the same day pro-government demonstrators gathered in Tehran, Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz sits at the center of the standoff because Iran linked reopening it to U.S. action on the blockade and the war, while Trump kept pushing for a wider settlement. A cargo ship had sailed in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, before the weekend talks stalled again, and the attacks there added fresh pressure to find a compromise.

The immediate test is whether the talks around Putin, Araghchi, and Gharibabadi can narrow the gap between Tehran’s demand for relief from the blockade and Washington’s demand for a deal that reaches Iran’s nuclear program, missiles, and regional proxies. For shipping through one of the world’s most sensitive waterways, the next move will come from diplomacy rather than from the ships already hit.