Iran has offered a new “7-day” proposal to the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart broader talks towards a final resolution to the nearly seven-month-long war. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Washington that Tehran’s new plan is similar to commitments laid out in a so-called memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, which was struck in June but quickly unraveled.
Iran’s mediators have submitted their proposal to the White House that could see the strategic links between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman — a major route that carries roughly a fifth of global energy in peacetime — open within a week.
“We have introduced a plan to the United States through the intermediators that if certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz would be open on the end of the seventh day and talks would restart,” Araghchi said during a press conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
“But it depends on the US administration to decide. We don’t care about the timing. Araghchi did not disclose whether the new proposal also addresses the nuclear questions during the proposed seven-day process. The dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities remains one of the central obstacles to an agreement. Washington has demanded safeguards to ensure Tehran cannot develop a weapon, while Iranian officials have insisted that the country must be allowed to maintain a civilian nuclear program. Araghchi’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump acknowledged the diplomatic contact during his address to the General Assembly.
Araghchi stressed that Tehran was “not in a hurry” to secure a truce deal based on its new proposal. However, he said that “it would be much better” if the deal were finalised before the midterm election. Trump said Iran could reach an agreement to end the conflict or face “annihilation,” prompting members of the Iranian delegation to walk out. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the proposal had been conveyed to Washington through intermediaries and was similar to a memorandum of understanding reached by the two sides in June. Earlier reporting noted: “We have introduced a plan to the United States through the intermediators that if certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz would be open on the end of the seventh day and talks would restart…it would be better, if a deal was reached before the U.S. midterm elections,” Araghchi told reporters at the United Nations General Assembly, according to the report. US President Donald Trump has threatened to “annihilate” Iran if no agreement is reached, while also indicating that a deal could be possible.
Earlier reporting noted: Under the proposal, Iran would reopen the strategic waterway and the US and Iran would restart comprehensive negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Earlier reporting noted: The proposal comes as both sides remain publicly committed to diplomacy but sharply divided over the terms of any settlement.
