Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz within seven days if US eases pressure
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Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States takes initial steps to ease military pressure, a senior Iranian government official told Kyodo News on Tuesday, as Tehran seeks to revive negotiations with Washington.
The proposal was conveyed to the US through intermediaries and calls for a return to talks aimed at reaching a lasting agreement to end the conflict between the two countries, the official said.
Iran is seeking assurances that Washington is prepared to resume negotiations and move towards ending what Tehran describes as a US military blockade of its ports, as well as halting military operations linked to the Strait of Hormuz. In return, Iran would reopen the strategic waterway within seven days and resume talks.
The official said the proposal had been approved by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council. Tehran also plans to use this week's United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York to engage countries involved in mediation efforts between Iran and the US.
However, the official ruled out a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN gathering.
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on Saturday that Iran had presented Washington with seven conditions, including ending the blockade of Iranian ports and unfreezing Iranian assets.
The proposal comes as a 45-day deadline set by the security council approaches. The council decided on August 16 that Iran could launch another attack on US forces if Washington failed to lift the port blockade within the stipulated period.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy corridor, and its disruption has significantly reduced commercial shipping through the waterway.
The confrontation began in late February following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. A memorandum of understanding reached between Washington and Tehran in June later collapsed amid renewed hostilities and unresolved disputes.