Iran has said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours if the United States agrees to its conditions, as diplomatic efforts to end the eight-month-old war between both countries continue.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei disclosed this on Monday, saying Tehran had shortened its earlier seven-day proposal to a two-day arrangement.
“The possibility of implementing this plan in two days is another indication of Iran’s good-faith approach,” Baghaei said.
He added that reopening the strategic waterway and resuming negotiations would depend on Washington accepting Iran’s demands.
“We have stated that, if Iran’s demands are met, it would be possible to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and resume the negotiating process within a short period,” he said.
Iran’s conditions include an end to the war across the Middle East, the unfreezing of its assets held abroad, the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector and an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also called for a new transit arrangement for vessels passing through the strait, agreed between Iran and Oman, as well as a reduction in US troop presence in the region.
Baghaei said messages were still being exchanged between Tehran and Washington through mediators, adding that “everything depends” on the US accepting Iran’s demands.
The proposal comes after Iranian and Qatari negotiators held three days of discussions in Doha aimed at reaching an agreement to end the conflict.
However, the talks ended without a breakthrough, although both sides have continued exchanging messages through mediators.
