Iran links Strait of Hormuz reopening to US steps
Tehran says it wants to open the strait within seven days if Washington reduces the blockade and military pressure.
Iran has proposed to the United States, through intermediaries, a plan to reach a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. The proposal is not yet an agreement: public sources have not reported that Washington has accepted it.
According to reports by Reuters and Al Jazeera, Iran wants the United States to lift the blockade of Iranian ports, end military operations around the strait and resume negotiations. In return, Tehran would resume shipping through the Strait of Hormuz on the seventh day.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi explained the plan to journalists in New York, where the United Nations General Assembly is taking place, according to Al Jazeera. The proposal was reportedly conveyed to Washington through intermediaries earlier this week. Iran says the talks should lead to a lasting end to the hostilities.
The plan builds on a memorandum of understanding that the United States and Iran concluded in June. That agreement was intended to end the violence and reopen the strait, but according to Reuters and Al Jazeera it fell apart within weeks. Both countries accused each other of failing to honour agreements on shipping and the broader negotiations.
The new Iranian route is therefore not only a diplomatic offer, but also an attempt to establish the sequence of concessions. Tehran wants to see US steps first before fully restoring passage. Washington, for its part, has previously made free passage a condition for further agreements and stressed that Iran must reduce its economic and military pressure.
No public US agreement on the seven-day plan has been reported. Reuters quoted a US government official as saying that President Donald Trump is open to talks under the right circumstances, but is in no hurry to reach a new deal. AP also reported that Trump accused Iran of delaying negotiations on the full reopening of the strait.
The stakes are high because Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy corridors. According to the International Energy Agency, an average of about 20 million barrels of oil and oil products a day passed through the strait in 2025, around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade. A significant share of global LNG exports also passes through the shipping route.
Whether the proposal leads to talks depends above all on who gives up their negotiating position first and what guarantees both countries demand. Until there is agreement on that, the announced seven-day timeframe remains an Iranian condition, not an established reopening of the strait.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Iran has, according to multiple sources, conveyed a conditional plan to the United States through intermediaries.
- The plan links US concessions to a possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.
- The earlier agreement between Washington and Tehran fell apart in July.
- Hormuz is an important route for oil and LNG transport.
Left
Arguments A ceasefire and free shipping should take precedence over further military pressure. The United States should choose diplomacy, sanctions relief and international mediation instead of an escalation that affects civilians and the global economy.
Values International law, human security, multilateralism and restraint in the use of military force.
Consequences A serious diplomatic process could lower energy prices and regional tensions; critics fear that overly rapid concessions would reward Iran for blocking an international shipping route.
Centre
Arguments The reopening of Hormuz and an end to the hostilities are shared interests, but agreements must be verifiable and phased. Both parties should take simultaneous, verifiable steps with international monitoring.
Values Stability, practicability, reciprocity and institutional oversight.
Consequences A phased agreement could create room for trust, but the earlier failed memorandum shows that unclear guarantees can quickly lead to new accusations.
Right
Arguments Free passage must not depend on pressure tactics by a regime that has itself restricted shipping. Washington must retain its negotiating leverage and reduce sanctions or military pressure only when Iran demonstrably and durably guarantees free passage.
Values National security, deterrence, responsibility and the protection of strategic trade routes.
Consequences A hard line could prevent Iran from gaining time or reversing concessions, but it increases the risk of a prolonged war, higher energy prices and further regional escalation.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article's core is confirmed by multiple public sources. The precise content of the Iranian proposal and the US response are only partly public and are therefore explicitly presented as uncertain.
- confirmed Iran has presented a plan to Washington through intermediaries. — Reuters and Al Jazeera report that the proposal was conveyed to the United States through intermediaries. source
- confirmed Iran links the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to US steps. — According to the sources, the conditions include lifting the US blockade and ending military pressure. source
- confirmed The proposed timeframe for reopening is seven days. — Al Jazeera and reports based on Reuters and Kyodo mention a period of seven days. source
- confirmed The June agreement fell apart within weeks. — Reuters and Al Jazeera describe the earlier memorandum as having failed or collapsed in July. source
- confirmed In 2025, an average of about 20 million barrels of oil and oil products a day passed through Hormuz. — This figure appears in the International Energy Agency's factsheet. source
- uncertain The United States has not publicly accepted the seven-day plan. — The public sources consulted contain no US agreement; this does not prove that no response was given behind closed doors. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Iranian officials have mentioned a conditional plan and a seven-day timeframe, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera. There is no full proposal text in the public domain and no confirmation of an agreement by the United States; the precise implementation conditions remain uncertain.Sources
- Iran pitches seven-day roadmap to end conflict with US — Al Jazeera
- US and Iran discuss phased deal to reopen Hormuz and end US blockade, sources say — Reuters
- The US has made progress in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but the Iran war is far from over — Associated Press
- Strait of Hormuz — International Energy Agency
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