UNITED KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE

London, May 22, 2026. Nearly three months after the outbreak of hostilities between Washington and Tehran on February 28, British press paints a precise picture of the obstacles blocking any peace agreement. The Independent devotes two in-depth analyses to the unresolved knots: Iran's nuclear program, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the sanctions issue.

Pakistani mediation takes center stage in London's coverage. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran as part of Islamabad's efforts to facilitate a ceasefire. The two officials reviewed the latest proposals to end the conflict and identify remaining sticking points, according to the Iranian semi-official news agency Tasnim. This move comes as Tehran submitted a new offer to Washington earlier in the week — better received than previous ones, according to US officials, but largely reiterating conditions Trump had already rejected: control of the maritime route, compensation for war damages, lifting of sanctions, and withdrawal of US troops from the region.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the signals from the negotiations as "good signs" but tempered any excessive optimism. "I don't want to be too optimistic... Let's see what happens in the next few days," he told the press. An Iranian source confirmed that the gaps had narrowed, without the fundamental obstacles — uranium enrichment and the Strait of Hormuz regime — being lifted.

Trump himself appeared to backpedal on the issue of Hormuz tolls, saying he wanted the strait to remain "open and free" — "We want it open, we want it free. We don't want tolls" — and described the waterway as "international." This retreat contrasts with earlier statements hinting at the possibility of taxes on ships passing through the strait. The US president, however, maintained his warnings, saying he was ready to resume strikes if Tehran did not provide the "right answers".

The Independent also highlights the domestic pressures bearing down on the White House: the surge in fuel prices has fueled public anger in the US, and Trump's popularity rating has hit its lowest since his return to power. With midterm elections approaching in November, a swift resolution to the conflict takes on an electoral dimension for him.