Iran offers seven-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iran has offered the US a new “7-day” proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and to restart broader talks towards a final resolution to the war, which the US and Israel launched against Iran six months ago.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in New York on September 24 that his country’s mediators had submitted a plan to the White House that could see the strategic waterway open within a week, Financial Times reports. 

“We have introduced a plan to the United States through the mediators that if certain conditions are met . . . the strait will be open in seven days” and Iran and the US would restart negotiations for a final deal, Araghchi told a group of reporters and academics gathered on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

The Iranians said their proposal built on the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the US and Iran in June.

That agreement extended an April ceasefire for 60 days, during which the US was to issue waivers for Iranian oil exports and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was to gradually return to prewar levels while the two adversaries negotiated the terms of a lasting settlement.

According to the deal, Israel was also to immediately halt its military operations in Lebanon. Iran and neighbouring Oman were to “determine” the future administration of maritime traffic through the Strait.

However, the agreement collapsed in early July after Iran began firing on ships that it said were using an “unauthorised” route to transit the strait.

Earlier this week, a senior Iranian official, speaking to Reuters, called the UN General Assembly “a golden opportunity for the U.S. to return to diplomacy” in the conflict with Iran.

A White House official declined to comment on Iran’s proposal but said the US and Iran “are having positive and constructive discussions through the mediators”.

By Sabina Mammadli