Tehran says the waterway could reopen within seven days if conditions for a ceasefire and renewed negotiations are met, while reports say Washington rejected the proposal.
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| Iran has proposed a seven-day framework to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. |
Iran has proposed a seven-day plan aimed at reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and restarting negotiations with the United States, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Reports subsequently indicated that US President Donald Trump had rejected the proposal, although Washington had not publicly confirmed the rejection as of Saturday.
Speaking at the United Nations in New York, Araghchi said Tehran had conveyed the proposal to Washington through Qatar. Under the plan, he said, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened to normal maritime traffic within seven days if the necessary conditions were met.
The reported proposal includes a seven-day cessation of hostilities in the region, the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions affecting Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade of Iran. On the seventh day of the proposed truce, Iran would reopen the waterway, according to reports on the plan.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a central issue in the nearly seven-month conflict between Washington and Tehran. The waterway is a major route for global energy shipments, making restrictions on navigation a significant concern for international oil and gas markets.
The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials familiar with the matter, reported that Trump had rejected Tehran's proposal. The report said Trump remained skeptical that Iran would meet US demands. However, the US government had not publicly announced a formal rejection of the Iranian plan at the time of reporting.
The latest development follows renewed diplomatic contacts between the two countries during the United Nations General Assembly. Araghchi met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff earlier in the week, while both sides have continued to discuss possible terms for ending the conflict and addressing the status of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the ceasefire process could begin once the United States accepts the proposed framework. Meanwhile, the reported US position leaves uncertainty over whether the latest diplomatic effort can produce an agreement to end hostilities and restore normal maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.