Iran offers seven-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iran has proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and restore normal maritime traffic, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at the United Nations on Friday.

Araghchi said Tehran had conveyed the proposal to Washington through Qatar. He said the strait could be reopened within seven days if the necessary conditions were accepted.

The proposal comes as tensions between Iran and the United States remain unresolved after months of conflict. The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global shipping route and a major passageway for international oil supplies.

Araghchi said Iran was ready to restore normal shipping through the waterway but would not accept pressure, threats or demands that it viewed as a violation of its sovereignty.

However, reports later indicated that US President Donald Trump had rejected the proposal. The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported that Trump remained doubtful that Tehran would fulfil his demands and believed further US military action could become necessary.

The reported Iranian plan includes a seven-day halt to hostilities across the region, including Lebanon. It also calls for the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, the easing of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade.

Under the proposal, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the seven-day truce.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the ceasefire process could begin immediately if the United States accepted the proposed framework. He also referred to an earlier memorandum of understanding reached between the two sides in June with Pakistan playing a role in the process.

The earlier agreement was intended to end the conflict, reopen the strait and pave the way for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the arrangement later collapsed amid renewed tensions over shipping in the waterway.

Iran has maintained that ships must obtain permission before passing through the strait, citing security and sovereignty concerns. The United States has carried out strikes on Iranian coastal areas in response to incidents involving commercial shipping.