US President Donald Trump is reportedly unhappy with Iran’s latest ceasefire proposal, which called on the US to end its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal also recommended that the tougher issues, including a decision on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions, be discussed later.Trump had stopped his deputies — including Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Special Envoy and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law — from travelling to Pakistan for a new round of discussions over the weekend. The announcement came on Sunday (April 26) even as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered the ceasefire proposal to Pakistan, which has been mediating the talks between the US and Iran.Here are five things to know:No consensus on Iran’s nuclear programmeThe sticking point in the latest proposal was very likely Iran’s nuclear programme and potential to develop nuclear weapons, a point Trump has repeatedly rallied against. The US wants Iran to suspend its nuclear programme for 20 years and surrender its 972-pound stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran has repeatedly rejected such proposals.The latest proposal aims to de-escalate the ongoing crisis in West Asia without placing any restraints on the Iranian nuclear programme. This was a marked step down from a proposal Tehran communicated to Pakistan just a day earlier, in which it offered a five-year suspension of its uranium enrichment, followed by five years of very low-grade civilian enrichment in labs. This would have diluted Iran’s nuclear stockpile, keeping half of it at home subject to international inspection, while the other half would be given to Russia, Iran’s ally. The US rejected the offer outright, with Trump saying Iran’s proposal was “not good enough”.Also in Explained | The UAE’s exit from OPEC, and its possible impact on global oil pricesEver since the US approved a ceasefire for two weeks with Iran — and Trump subsequently “indefinitely” extended it, while keeping the US naval blockade in place and keeping the military on standby — the two nations have exchanged draft proposals. Even so, the status of Iran’s nuclear programme has proven to be divisive.Iranian analysts have noted that Tehran has twice tried to negotiate its nuclear programme with the Trump administration, including once last year. On both occasions, the US proved belligerent, attacking before talks could conclude. This is Iran’s stated reason for not wanting nuclear talks bundled into ceasefire terms.State of the StraitPresently, a dual blockade persists over the Strait of Hormuz: Iran has been controlling traffic through the strait ever since the war began on February 28, with the IRGC attacking merchant ships and laying sea mines. Given that Iran continued to restrict traffic after the ceasefire was announced on April 8 — as well as charging tolls exceeding $1 million per ship, which “friendly” nations like India, Pakistan, China and Turkey have been exempt from and allowed to pass — the US commenced a naval blockade limited to Iran’s ports and ships, intercepting vessels headed to and from Iranian ports.Story continues below this adThe result is a deadlock, with Iran refusing to lift its blockade unless the US ends its blockade. The US blockade has stalled Iranian oil exports, while Iran’s threats to attack ships that do not pay a toll have discouraged other oil traffic through the Strait.Iran’s latest proposal on Monday focused on reopening the Strait, coupled with a parliamentary proposal to formally charge shippers for passage. The US has historically opposed such restrictions, and the Trump administration has shown little appetite for the proposal in its current form.Also Read | Iran’s untraced mines in Strait of Hormuz: Why naval mines are difficult to detectEven if a deal is struck at long last, clearing the naval mines placed by Iran remains a major obstacle. Over the weekend, Trump announced that the US Navy was clearing Iranian mines, a process that experts believe could take months and may fail to convince shippers that the Strait is safe for passage.Lebanon as a fault line in the hostilitiesWhile an important condition for the ceasefire was the conclusion of hostilities on “all fronts”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the inclusion of Lebanon. Since the war began, over 2,500 people have been killed in fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, contrasted with over 3,300 people in Iran and 23 in Israel, as well as over a dozen casualties across West Asia.Story continues below this adWhile the separate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in place since 2024, has been extended by three weeks, Israel and Lebanon have continued to trade strikes well into this week. Netanyahu on Sunday accused Hezbollah of “effectively eroding the ceasefire”, and that the Israeli military was operating “with significant force”.The continued strikes on Lebanon — which Iran has used as a rationale for restricting movement through the Strait — highlight the ambiguity over Lebanon’s inclusion in the US-Iran ceasefire. Even as Israel and Iran disagree over Lebanon’s inclusion, every exchange of strikes there risks destabilising the broader truce.Oil pricesEver since the war began, oil prices have risen about 50%, with Brent crude trading at above $108 per barrel, sending shockwaves through a $117 trillion global economy. Refiners worldwide have likely been paying a lot more for the oil they need to keep their refineries operational in the immediate future, with some reports suggesting that prices have reached $150 per barrel, significantly higher than the exchange-traded benchmarks.Trump claims that Iran is “losing $500 million a day” and “collapsing financially”. Even so, the prolonged closure of the strait has mounted pressure on him ahead of the November midterm elections, with American consumers faced with increased petrol prices.War by the Congressional clockStory continues below this adTrump may also be congressionally required to wrap up the war, thanks to a little-known law called the War Powers Act. The 1973 law allows a US president to wage war without congressional approval only for 60 days, following which Congress is required to authorise the war or demand a cessation of operations.Since Trump submitted his report on the Iran war on March 2, the deadline for such approval is May 1, just two days away.NewsletterFollow our daily newsletter so you never miss anything important. On Wednesday, we answer readers' questions.SubscribeThe approval would determine the fate of the naval forces maintaining the blockade, even during the current ceasefire.While it is extremely likely that the US President would dismiss the mandate, taking a leaf from Richard Nixon and calling it “unconstitutional” — or emulating Barack Obama, who said the law did not apply during the US’s military operations in Libya in 2011 — the war has proven to be especially unpopular. With nearly two-thirds of Americans disapproving of the war, according to a Pew Research Center study last month, and midterm elections looming, House Republicans have expressed an uncharacteristic willingness to go against Trump on the issue.Story continues below this adIf US troops remain engaged after May 1, the War Powers Act could take on a relevance it hasn’t had in over 50 years.