Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz within seven days
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States accepted a proposal to restore maritime traffic and resume negotiations.
Speaking at the United Nations in New York, Araghchi said the proposal had been conveyed to Washington through Qatar, with the seven-day timeline beginning once the US accepted the plan.
“If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice now rests with the United States,” he said.
Araghchi said Washington would first have to fulfil existing commitments, allowing Iran to reopen the strait on the sixth day and resume negotiations the following day. He maintained that Tehran remained open to diplomacy but would not accept “coercion, threat or intimidation”.
The Iranian foreign minister also rejected claims that Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon, calling them a “big lie” and insisting the country's nuclear programme remained peaceful.
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The Strait of Hormuz has been a major pressure point since the US-Iran conflict began in late February, with disruption to the key oil and gas shipping route driving up energy prices and reducing maritime traffic. US and Iranian representatives held indirect contacts during the UN General Assembly, but Washington had not announced whether it would accept Tehran's proposal.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
