Iran said Monday that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States agreed to a series of demands, following a week of intensified negotiations aimed at preventing a renewed war.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the conditions included lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran and releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets. The proposals come as Qatari mediators work to broker a last-minute agreement between Tehran and Washington.
The demands appear difficult for the Trump administration to accept. Baghaei’s comments came hours after President Trump said at a campaign rally that he could eventually decide to give Iran “the hammer” if the two countries failed to reach an agreement to end the war.
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. and Israeli forces attacked the country in February. The waterway is a key route for oil and gas shipments from the Persian Gulf, and its closure has disrupted energy markets and continued to weigh on the global economy.
Meanwhile, American and Israeli military officials have been preparing plans for possible renewed strikes on Iran after this week’s U.S. midterm elections. Iranian leaders have warned that another attack would lead their forces to expand the range of their targets. They are also publicly considering withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which bars the development of nuclear weapons.
Sources: The New York Times World.