Iran Says Hormuz Could Reopen in Two Days if US Meets Terms

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is considering a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States meets Iran’s conditions, but no agreement has been announced and Washington has not accepted the plan. Araghchi described the shorter timeline in an interview published October 31, saying consultations with Qatari mediators had reduced the proposed implementation period. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on November 2 that the proposal remained under consideration and that messages through mediators were still being exchanged. He said the earlier proposal had allowed one week. Araghchi described its previous timeline as seven days, while another account of his remarks put it at five days; the sources do not explain the difference. Iran has tied the proposed reopening to a set of demands. Araghchi cited lifting sanctions imposed after the Islamabad memorandum, restoring oil waivers, releasing frozen Iranian funds, including money held in Qatar, and reducing the US military presence in the region. Iran has also called for recognition of shipping arrangements with Oman and an end to fighting on regional fronts. The...