Iran Offers To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz Within Six Days If U.S. Accepts Its Conditions

Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within six days if the United States accepts its conditions, with negotiations set to resume the following day, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.

The proposal remains under discussion as Washington and Tehran disagree over sanctions, regional hostilities and Iran’s nuclear programme.

The strait carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade before the war, making its reopening a major issue for energy supplies and international shipping.

Speaking to Iranian media in Baghdad, where he was attending a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Araghchi said Tehran was reviewing Washington’s response but had not withdrawn its proposal.

“Our situation is clear and based on the seven-days proposal presented to the US,” Araghchi said. He added that the way to reopen the strait was clear if Washington acted in good faith, while questioning whether it would do so.

Iran’s conditions include lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports, removing sanctions on its oil exports and ending hostilities across all regional fronts.

A key disagreement is when to address Iran’s nuclear programme. Washington wants the issue discussed from the beginning of negotiations, while Tehran wants initial talks to focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restoring security in the waterway.

US Vice President JD Vance said earlier this month that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity to meet US demands and end the eight-month war between the two countries.

Iran presented its proposal in mid-September after an interim ceasefire collapsed. Tehran later acknowledged receiving a US response.

However, Iran’s security chief said last week that negotiations had stalled because Washington had not addressed all seven of Tehran’s conditions for reopening the strait.

Araghchi said the government was still reviewing the US comments and that its proposal remained on the table. He did not announce an agreement or confirm a date for reopening the waterway.

Separately, Iran’s newly appointed Defence Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi warned on Sunday that the United States and its allies in West Asia would suffer “enormous damage” if Washington resumed military action against Tehran.

“People can rest assured that they will most likely not dare to attack us,” Akhlaghi told reporters after parliament approved his appointment, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). “If they (the US) do, they themselves and the region will suffer enormous damage.”

Iran’s parliament approved Akhlaghi’s appointment with 237 votes in favour out of 277 votes cast, according to the Iranian government website cited by AFP.

He replaces Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed in a US-Israeli attack on a leadership compound on February 28, alongside former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders.

Iran’s proposal offers a potential timetable for reopening one of the world’s key energy shipping routes, but that timetable depends on Washington accepting Tehran’s conditions.

References: Hindustan Times, NDTV