Iran Offers to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Within a Week as Nuclear Dispute Stalls U.S. Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says Tehran remains willing to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz within six days if Washington accepts its conditions, but disagreements over sanctions, regional hostilities and Iran’s nuclear program continue to block an agreement.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Iran renewed its offer Sunday, Oct. 18, to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week, urging the United States to accept a seven-point proposal that would restore maritime traffic through one of the world’s most important energy corridors while allowing negotiations between Washington and Tehran to resume.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the proposal remains available despite weeks of stalled negotiations, with the two countries divided over whether discussions should initially focus on reopening the strategic waterway or restricting Iran’s nuclear activities.

Speaking to Iranian media during a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Baghdad, Araqchi said Tehran was reviewing American comments on its proposal but accused Washington of failing to demonstrate a genuine willingness to reach an agreement.

“Our situation is clear and based on the seven-days proposal presented to the US. They shared comments which we are reviewing, but our proposal is still on the table and if there is any honesty on the US part, which there isn’t, the way to reopening the Strait of Hormuz is obvious,” Araqchi said, according to Reuters’ October 18 report.

The Iranian foreign minister said that if Washington accepted Tehran’s conditions, the strait could reopen within six days, with negotiations resuming on the seventh day.

The proposal was first presented in September after an interim ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed. Tehran subsequently acknowledged receiving an American response, but Iranian officials said it did not adequately address all seven conditions.

Among Iran’s principal demands are the lifting of the American blockade on Iranian ports, the removal of U.S. sanctions restricting Iranian oil exports and an end to hostilities across regional fronts.

Other elements of the seven-point proposal have not been fully disclosed publicly.

The disagreement has prevented meaningful progress despite continuing diplomatic exchanges through regional intermediaries.

Iranian officials have identified the sequencing of negotiations as a central obstacle.

Washington wants Iran’s nuclear program addressed at the beginning of any renewed talks, while Tehran insists that restoring maritime security and reopening the Strait of Hormuz must take priority.

Vice President JD Vance said earlier in October that Iran would need to make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity to satisfy American demands and move toward ending the eight-month conflict.

Iranian officials have resisted making nuclear concessions a prerequisite for reopening the waterway, arguing that maritime access and regional security should be addressed before broader negotiations resume.

The dispute has significant consequences for international energy supplies.

Before the war, approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade moved through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and international shipping routes.

The waterway serves as a principal export corridor for major energy producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Prolonged restrictions on shipping have forced governments and energy companies to seek alternative transportation routes, increasing costs and disrupting supply chains.

The impact extends beyond oil and natural gas. Maritime restrictions have also affected fertilizer shipments and other commodities essential to international agriculture and manufacturing.

A United Nations official warned earlier this month that continued disruption of fertilizer shipments through Hormuz could contribute to food shortages in vulnerable countries, particularly if supplies cannot reach agricultural markets before planting seasons.

The United Nations has proposed a separate arrangement to facilitate fertilizer shipments, but implementation remains dependent on security guarantees and cooperation from Washington and Tehran.

Iran’s broader maritime proposal was communicated to American officials through Qatar, which has served as an intermediary during negotiations.

At an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting Saturday, Araqchi said Tehran had outlined a specific timetable for restoring shipping and that the decision now rested with Washington.

The Iranian foreign minister reiterated that maritime security could not be separated from the military conflict affecting the region.

“You cannot bomb a country, threaten to destroy it and blockade it, then expect maritime security to return to normal,” Araqchi said during the Baghdad meeting.

The proposal follows earlier diplomatic efforts to reduce hostilities between the United States and Iran.

A June agreement temporarily eased the confrontation but subsequently collapsed, leaving the two governments divided over sanctions relief, security arrangements and Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Iran’s September initiative attempted to establish a revised timetable for reopening the strait and restarting negotiations, but subsequent exchanges failed to resolve their differences.

Tehran maintains that lifting restrictions on its oil exports is necessary to restore economic activity and create conditions for a broader settlement.

American officials, meanwhile, continue to emphasize concerns about Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities and the possibility that its nuclear infrastructure could support weapons development.

Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes.

The administration of President Donald Trump has not publicly accepted Tehran’s latest conditions, and no formal date has been announced for renewed negotiations.

The competing proposals leave the two governments facing a choice between resolving immediate maritime restrictions and addressing the broader military and nuclear disagreements that contributed to the conflict.

For energy markets, an agreement reopening Hormuz could restore a major shipping route and reduce some of the transportation disruptions affecting global fuel supplies.

However, the extent and speed of any market recovery would depend on security conditions, shipping arrangements and the willingness of commercial operators to resume normal transit.

Araqchi’s renewed offer establishes that Tehran remains publicly committed to its seven-day reopening plan, but its implementation depends on American acceptance of conditions that Washington has not agreed to meet.

Until those differences are resolved, commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains constrained, prolonging uncertainty for global energy markets and the countries that depend on the waterway.