Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States takes initial steps to ease military pressure, a senior Iranian government official told Kyodo News on Tuesday, September 22, as Tehran intensifies efforts to revive negotiations with Washington.
The proposal has already been conveyed to the United States through mediators and calls for renewed talks aimed at achieving a permanent end to hostilities between the two countries, the official said.
Tehran also plans to use this week’s UN General Assembly gathering in New York to consult with countries acting as intermediaries.
The official ruled out a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the gathering, but said progress toward an agreement remained possible.
“There is a possibility of moving toward an agreement,” the official said, adding that Washington must demonstrate “seriousness and commitment” for diplomacy to advance.
According to the official, Iran is seeking indications that Washington is prepared to return to negotiations and take steps toward ending the US military blockade of Iranian ports and halting military operations related to the Strait of Hormuz.
If Washington takes such steps, Iran is prepared to reopen the strategic waterway within seven days and return to the negotiating table, the official said.
Tehran’s growing emphasis on diplomacy comes as restrictions on its ports squeeze crude oil exports, one of the country’s main sources of revenue.
The prolonged confrontation has continued to disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major energy corridor. Recent shipping data showed traffic through the waterway remaining far below prewar levels.
The latest initiative has been approved by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and the Supreme National Security Council, the country’s top security body, according to the Iranian official.
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on Saturday that Tehran had presented Washington with seven conditions, including an end to the blockade of Iranian ports and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
The Iranian official who spoke to Kyodo did not say whether the latest proposal represented a partial relaxation of any of those conditions.
The revelation comes as a deadline set by the council approaches.
According to the official, the council decided on Aug. 16 that Iran would retain the option of carrying out another attack on US forces if Washington failed to lift the blockade of Iranian ports within 45 days.
The war began in late February after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
A US-Iran memorandum of understanding reached in June subsequently broke down amid renewed hostilities and unresolved disputes, while commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below prewar levels.
The two sides have since engaged in intermittent exchanges of attacks, raising concerns about a possible full-scale resumption of hostilities.
By Tamilla Hasanova
