Iran Ties Hormuz Reopening to US Concessions Within Seven Days

Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and returning to negotiations over its nuclear programme within seven days, provided the United States meets three conditions: lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waiving sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and observing a ceasefire that extends to Lebanon.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi set out the offer during a private gathering on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. No confirmation has come from Iran's UN mission or other Iranian officials.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy chokepoint. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil and gas moved through the waterway, and Iran's disruption of shipping there has become one of its principal sources of leverage in the confrontation with Washington.

The proposal is reported to resemble a Memorandum of Understanding reached in June, but with a much shorter timeline. That earlier understanding had envisaged a 60-day interim period and unravelled quickly after Iran resumed attacks on shipping in the strait. Since then, Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the June terms, deepening mistrust.

The White House said on Friday that US officials were holding "positive and constructive" conversations with mediators about the Iran war. The diplomatic push follows repeated failed attempts at an agreement, with both sides suspicious of the other's intentions. The United States and Israel have also struck Iran while Tehran was engaged in nuclear negotiations, further complicating any return to talks.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hosted Qatar's prime minister early on Friday, the latest sign of renewed diplomatic activity. Qatar has been a key mediator between Tehran and Washington, including during several hours of indirect Iran-US discussions at the UN this week. Pezeshkian had also signalled during his UN address that Iran remained open to diplomacy.

The offer would cover Lebanon, where Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have largely maintained a ceasefire. It is unclear whether it would also address the renewed conflict involving Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia. Houthi attacks have added to pressure on global shipping and energy markets, with the rebels threatening another major maritime chokepoint, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.