Iran said on Monday that it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States accepts its conditions. The timeline is shorter than the seven days Tehran proposed to Washington through Qatar in September, which Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei described as evidence of Iran’s good faith.
Baghaei said messages were continuing to pass between Iran and the US through mediators, but added that “everything depends” on Washington accepting Tehran’s demands. These include ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian assets held abroad, lifting sanctions on Iran’s oil sector and ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi listed additional requirements in an interview with Al Jazeera released on Sunday. He said Washington must accept a new transit route through the strait agreed between Iran and Oman, reduce US troop numbers in the region and remove sanctions imposed since August.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, travelled to Doha on Monday to help prepare a preliminary agreement, with Qatar acting as mediator. China also said it was sending special envoy Zhai Jun to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia to encourage the parties to halt the fighting. Beijing and Muscat jointly urged Washington and Tehran to return to the “Islamabad memorandum of understanding,” according to Chinese state media.
The diplomatic efforts come as Washington and Tel Aviv have intensified their military threats. Baghaei warned that any attack on Iran would trigger a “powerful, immediate and comprehensive response.” Tehran has also continued to reject negotiations under pressure. Deputy parliament speaker Ali Nikzad said Iran would not enter nuclear talks in those circumstances, while Mohsen Rezaei said the US must first meet Iran’s conditions. Rezaei added that he had received a letter from US Vice President JD Vance but had not replied.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained a central point of confrontation since the war began in late February. Tehran says it has maintained control over the waterway and has targeted vessels attempting to cross without its authorisation, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. US military command CENTCOM rejected Iran’s account that its attacks had been limited to military targets, saying Iranian strikes had hit residential areas, civilian centres and civilian sailors in international waters and killed at least 20 people.
The negotiations are unfolding ahead of US midterm elections on Tuesday, amid increased economic pressure linked to the war. Results are expected on Wednesday, coinciding with the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran. Demonstrations against the US are expected across Iran, where billboards showing US President Donald Trump behind prison bars have appeared in recent days.
Sources: Euronews English.