Iran said Monday it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States accepts its conditions. The offer is faster than a previous proposal that envisaged reopening the waterway within seven days.
The strait has been blocked by Iran since February, according to the report. Before the conflict, it carried about one-fifth of global oil consumption. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said accepting Tehran’s demands could restore security in the strait and allow negotiations to resume. He added that messages were still being exchanged with the US through mediators and that the next steps depended on Washington’s response.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated the offer, saying the strait would reopen and talks resume if the US accepted Iran’s conditions. Tehran said discussions with Qatari mediators had produced new proposals but no decisive breakthrough.
Iran’s demands include ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian assets, lifting sanctions on its oil and ending the blockade of Iranian ports. In an interview broadcast Sunday, Araghchi also called for Washington to accept a new shipping route agreed by Iran and Oman, lift sanctions and reduce US troop numbers in the region.
The statements came as US President Donald Trump issued fresh threats against Iran. He said at a campaign rally in Iowa that he wanted to avoid further loss of life but warned that the US might eventually have to use force. Trump has not ruled out additional strikes on military targets, including Mount Kolang, which is suspected of housing an underground nuclear complex. Baqaei warned that any attack would receive a “powerful, immediate and comprehensive” response.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had granted officials involved in efforts to end the war additional powers, without specifying what they were. Officials from Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have held talks with Tehran in recent days, while US Vice President J. D. Vance sent a letter to Iran. Iranian state media also reported that security chief Mohsen Rezaei discussed the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq discussed the conflict with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing; China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, said Beijing supported Iran’s defense of its sovereignty and security.
Sources: Folha Mundo.