Iran puts seven-day timeline on reopening Strait of Hormuz

International

A SEVEN-day window to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is now on the table, with Iran saying the crucial shipping passage can return to normal if the United States meets conditions contained in a June agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran had proposed a deal to Washington that could restore normal maritime traffic through the strategic waterway within a week.

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations in New York, Araghchi said the conditions were already outlined in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in June and that the proposal had been delivered to the US through Qatar.

“The choice now rests with the United States,” he said in a BBC report.

A US official said that positive discussions were taking place through mediators, including on nuclear issues. The comments followed US President Donald Trump’s threat earlier this week to “annihilate the Islamic Republic”.

Araghchi said Iran could reopen the strait and restore normal maritime passage within seven days if the necessary conditions were met. He did not specify the measures Tehran wanted from Washington, saying they were already included in the June MOU.

The June 18 agreement was intended to establish a ceasefire and facilitate at least a partial reopening of the waterway. Its 14 points included a commitment that Iran would never have a nuclear weapon, an end to military operations by the US, Iran and their allies, and provisions for sanctions relief and the safe passage of commercial vessels.

The agreement later broke down after military strikes resumed.

The Strait of Hormuz is a major energy route, with about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passing through it before the war. Its closure has contributed to sharp energy-price fluctuations.

Iran has attacked vessels it says attempted to cross the strait without authorization, while the US has struck Iranian sites in the waterway and Iranian tankers off Iran’s coast. Washington has also maintained a blockade of Iranian ports.

A US official told the BBC that Washington was not in a rush to reach a deal, saying the US was in a strong position because it controlled the strait.

Shipping data from Kpler cited by Reuters showed a recent 10-day average of about 18 vessel transits per day, with daily traffic falling as low as nine vessels.(MyTVCebu)