Iran awaits US decision on conditions to reopen Strait of Hormuz

11:21

TEHRAN — Iran is awaiting a formal response from the United States to a proposal designed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran linking any restoration of normal maritime traffic to a series of political and economic conditions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that Qatari mediators were expected to convey Tehran's latest ideas to Washington and return with the American position. The exchanges are taking place alongside indirect diplomatic contacts involving Iranian and U.S. officials in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.

The proposal places the strategic waterway at the center of a broader effort to halt hostilities and establish a framework for renewed negotiations. According to Iranian officials, Tehran wants guarantees concerning a regional ceasefire, access to frozen Iranian funds held abroad, the removal of sanctions affecting its oil industry and an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Qatar maintains its role as intermediary

Rather than negotiating directly, Washington and Tehran have continued to rely on intermediaries, particularly Qatar. Araghchi said discussions with Qatari representatives had focused on possible ways to address Iran's conditions before the proposals were transmitted to the American side.

The Iranian foreign minister indicated that Tehran expected Washington's response through the Qatari channel, although the timing and substance of that response remained uncertain.

The latest diplomatic exchanges follow an earlier Iranian proposal for a seven-day process. Under Tehran's plan, implementation of the requested measures would be followed by the reopening of the waterway and the resumption of negotiations on a longer-term settlement, including discussions related to Iran's nuclear programme.

Washington and Tehran remain divided

The diplomatic channel remains active despite significant differences between the two sides. U.S. officials have indicated that any broader agreement would have to address Iran's nuclear activities, while Tehran has emphasized the lifting of sanctions and the restoration of economic and maritime conditions as prerequisites for progress.

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran's initial seven-day proposal, describing it as unacceptable, although subsequent contacts through mediators have continued. More recent reporting indicates that Washington remains engaged in indirect discussions while seeking commitments from Tehran on nuclear issues.

The two governments have also offered sharply different accounts of earlier agreements and the causes of the breakdown in previous diplomatic arrangements. Those disagreements continue to complicate efforts to establish a sequence of reciprocal commitments.

Hormuz remains central to the global energy market

The Strait of Hormuz gives the negotiations significance far beyond the immediate confrontation between Iran and the United States. The narrow maritime corridor is one of the world's most important energy routes, connecting the Persian Gulf with international markets.

Any sustained disruption affects oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and has already contributed to uncertainty across global energy markets. Recent market movements have reflected continued concern over the conflict and the possibility of prolonged restrictions on shipping through the waterway.

For Tehran, control over access to the strait is therefore both a strategic military issue and a major bargaining instrument. For Washington and regional governments, restoring predictable commercial navigation is closely linked to energy security and the stability of international trade.

A diplomatic opening, but no agreement yet

The latest contacts suggest that diplomatic channels remain open despite public disagreements and competing demands. Qatar's mediation has provided a mechanism for exchanging proposals at a moment when direct negotiations remain politically difficult.

For now, however, the central question is whether Washington will respond positively to the conditions put forward by Tehran and whether the two sides can agree on the order in which ceasefire, sanctions, maritime restrictions and nuclear-related commitments should be implemented.

Until that sequence is settled, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains part of a wider and unresolved negotiation over the future of the conflict and the region's security.