Iran says it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours if the United States accepts Tehran’s demands. (Foto: Instagram)
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday, Nov. 2, that Iran is considering reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, provided the United States accepts Tehran’s demands. He described the possibility of carrying out the plan within two days as another demonstration of Iran’s good faith.
Baqaei said that meeting Iran’s demands could restore security in the strait and allow negotiations to resume within a very short time. He did not say that a reopening had been agreed upon; the proposal remains conditional on Washington accepting Tehran’s requests.
The spokesperson also said messages between Iran and the United States are continuing through mediators. He said the next steps depend on Washington’s response to Iran’s demands, adding that only after those requests are accepted can the sides discuss what would follow.
Tehran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war, making the waterway a major point of tension between Iran and the United States and a frequent site of attacks in the region. The strait is one of the world’s main routes for transporting oil and other hydrocarbons. Iran claims control over the passage and frequently attacks ships that try to cross without its authorization.
In September, Iran presented a reopening plan through Qatar. Its conditions included a cease-fire, the release of Iranian assets, an end to sanctions on Iran’s oil sector and the lifting of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Any progress on the current proposal, the report said, depends on a positive response from Washington to Tehran’s demands.
