IRAN OFFERS TO REOPEN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND RESUME NUCLEAR TALKS WITHIN SEVEN DAYS IF US MEETS CONDITIONS. (PHOTO).

 Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks within seven days if US meets conditions

Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming negotiations over its nuclear program within seven days if the United States lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales and agrees to a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented the proposal during a private meeting Thursday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The proposal was communicated to the United States through mediators and closely resembles an agreement discussed in June, but with a much faster timeline. That earlier proposal called for a 60-day interim period but broke down after Iran resumed attacks on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait has become Iran’s primary source of leverage in the conflict. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passed through the strategic waterway, meaning disruptions have affected markets well beyond the Middle East.

The proposed agreement would ease economic pressure on Iran by lifting restrictions on its oil sales while requiring Tehran to reopen the waterway and return to nuclear negotiations.

There are questions about whether Iran’s hard-line security leadership would support the concessions being pursued by President Masoud Pezeshkian and Araghchi. Some hard-liners have criticized the government’s diplomatic efforts and called for continued resistance.

Diplomatic activity increased this week, with Pezeshkian meeting Qatar’s prime minister Friday. Qatar has played a key role in mediating indirect discussions between Iran and the United States.

Pezeshkian told the U.N. General Assembly Wednesday that Iran remained open to diplomacy. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the same day that the United States would engage if there was an opportunity to exchange ideas and messages.

Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, significant distrust remains between the two sides. The United States and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on Feb. 28 while nuclear negotiations were underway, killing Iran’s supreme leader. Both sides have accused the other of violating the June agreement.

The proposed ceasefire would include Lebanon, where Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have largely maintained a ceasefire. It remains unclear whether the proposal would extend to the renewed fighting involving Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

The conflict has raised additional concerns because of the Houthis’ ability to threaten shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another critical global trade route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Saudi Arabia has expressed skepticism about the latest proposal. Gulf states had previously supported renewed negotiations and considered an arrangement that would give Iran a temporary role in managing the Strait of Hormuz.

Those calculations reportedly shifted after the Houthis seized part of Yemen’s strategic Red Sea coast from pro-government forces and a key Saudi pipeline came under attack.

Iranian leaders have publicly attempted to maintain a united front, but divisions have emerged over whether diplomacy or continued military pressure would produce greater concessions from the United States.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who previously served as a chief negotiator in talks with Washington, acknowledged the divide, warning against both pursuing a war without a clear path to an end and underestimating Iran’s national capabilities.

The latest proposal now puts the focus on whether the United States and Iran can overcome their differences and return to negotiations while tensions remain high across the region.