Iran has proposed a plan to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz. This proposal was made at a time when reports emerged shortly after that it was rejected by Donald Trump, the President of the United States. This waterway, recognized as the most critical route for global oil supply, is at the center of the conflict between the United States and Iran, which has currently reached a stalemate.
Iran's Proposal and America's Response
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, announced at a recent United Nations meeting that Iran has presented a specific plan to the United States, via Qatar, for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Zarif stated: "Iran has conveyed a seven-day plan. If the necessary conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened, and normal maritime traffic can resume within seven days." He emphasized that "the choice is now in the hands of the United States" and that Iran will not yield under pressure, threats, or intimidation.
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However, less than a few hours after Zarif's statements, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had rejected the proposal. The report indicates that the 80-year-old President of the United States believes that Tehran will not meet his demands and is likely considering a renewed bombing campaign against Iran.
Iran's Proposed Conditions and Responses
Earlier, media reports indicated that Iran's new plan includes a cessation of all conflicts in the Middle East for seven days, including in Lebanon. This plan also includes the release of blocked Iranian assets worth at least $12 billion, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil exports, and an end to the U.S. naval blockade on Iran. According to this plan, on the seventh day of the ceasefire, Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Masoud Pezeshkpour, the President of Iran, stated in an interview with a media outlet that "the ceasefire process will begin the day the United States accepts it." He noted that a previous agreement had been reached based on a memorandum of understanding signed in Pakistan. If the United States agrees on this basis, everything will return to the previous state.
Hossein Mohebati, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard, stated in an interview that the end of conflicts in Yemen is also among Tehran's demands. Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding last June aimed at ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and starting negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program. However, this agreement quickly fell apart after Iran attacked commercial ships in Hormuz, which were accused of violating the permitted route.
Iran requires ships to obtain permission before passing through and cites security and sovereignty reasons for this demand. Ships that do not comply with this order are regularly targeted, while the United States also sporadically attacks coastal areas of Iran.
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