Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz within seven days

Friday 25 - 15:21

By: Azzat Manal

Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz within seven days

Iran has proposed reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States accepts a series of conditions linked to ending hostilities and easing military and economic pressure, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

According to Araghchi, the proposal was communicated to US officials through mediators and would establish a seven-day process leading to the reopening of the waterway, followed by renewed negotiations. Reuters previously reported that Tehran had delivered a proposal through intermediaries on September 16 and that its delegation in New York had authority to pursue diplomatic contacts.

The Iranian foreign minister said the plan would take effect once Washington accepted the proposed conditions. Among the demands reported by international media are a halt to military operations across the region, including Lebanon, the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of restrictions on Iranian oil exports and an end to the US naval blockade affecting Iranian ports.

Araghchi said Tehran was waiting for a response from Washington and indicated that the proposal was connected to an earlier understanding reached in June. That arrangement had aimed to reduce hostilities and create a framework for broader negotiations, but disagreements over the handling of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz contributed to its breakdown, according to Iranian officials.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy corridors, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Disruptions in the waterway can have consequences well beyond the region because large volumes of crude oil and other energy products normally pass through it.

Iran has maintained that ships seeking to cross the strait must comply with security requirements set by Tehran. The dispute over navigation has contributed to repeated tensions involving commercial vessels and military forces operating in and around the waterway.

The latest proposal comes as diplomatic contacts between Iran and the United States have resumed through intermediaries. Iranian officials have presented the UN General Assembly in New York as an opportunity to restart negotiations, while Washington has indicated that discussions with Tehran remain possible.

The proposal could also have implications for international energy markets. Any sustained improvement in maritime traffic through Hormuz could reduce concerns over supply disruptions, while continued restrictions would keep pressure on energy flows and shipping operations.

For now, however, the reopening remains conditional. Iran has said the seven-day timetable would begin only after Washington agrees to the proposed framework, leaving the next steps dependent on negotiations between the two sides and the mediators involved.