Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says his country has proposed a deal to the US that would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened within a week.
Araghchi told reporters at the UN in New York that this could be done “if the necessary conditions are met” and said these were contained within the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in June to extend a ceasefire that subsequently broke down.
Asked about the Iranian offer, a US official said positive discussions were taking place through mediators, including about nuclear issues, Reuters reported. Earlier this week Donald Trump threatened to “annihilate the Islamic Republic”.
The US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US bases in the Gulf and Arab Gulf allies of the US – as well as blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Some 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas used to pass through the strait before the war and its closure has caused wild fluctuations of prices.
It has also increased pressure on Trump to find a way of ending the conflict – particularly as the US heads to Congressional elections in November.
“If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, a normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice now rests with the United States,” Araghchi told reporters.
He did not specify what steps Iran wanted the US to take but added that “the actions that the United States should take are not new. They are all already in the MOU”.
