Iran Proposes 'Opening of Hormuz' Within Two Weeks

Washington, Agencies: A senior Iranian official revealed to Reuters yesterday that Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eased military pressure and lifted the sanctions imposed on Iranian ports. The official stated that the Iranian delegation participating in the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York has full authority to revive the diplomatic track with Washington. In comments to Japan’s Kyodo News agency, a prominent Iranian government official said that Tehran had submitted, through intermediaries, a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days in exchange for initial U.S. steps to reduce military pressure. He clarified that the proposal calls for resuming talks aimed at reaching a permanent end to hostilities between the two countries. The official ruled out a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the meetings, but said there is a possibility of progress toward reaching an agreement.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that the United States is open to dialogue with Iranians at the UN General Assembly, but no meeting is currently scheduled. Speaking on NBC News’ “Today” program, he said, “We are open to that. I don’t believe anything is scheduled at this time, but we are certainly open to such an approach, especially if it leads to a positive outcome and ultimately achieves the desired goal.” He clarified that the objective is to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, adding simply, “They cannot do it.”

For his part, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance reiterated that the Trump administration is seeking to ensure that Iran does not possess any resources or infrastructure that would allow it to rebuild its nuclear program. In comments to Newsmax, he noted that Iran would not be able to produce a nuclear weapon in the near future following U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities.

Earlier, the U.S. president revealed that he would hold meetings regarding Iran, emphasizing that Tehran would not again obtain nuclear weapons. He said during a press conference with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, “They will not get a nuclear weapon. Let me put it simply: their situation is not good. In fact, I have meetings on this matter, and they are suffering from severe deterioration.”

Meanwhile, France is working on drafting a new resolution at the UN Security Council aimed at reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz to navigation, according to a diplomatic source speaking to journalists. The source said, “France wants to work with the Americans and their partners on a Security Council resolution that guarantees freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” Last April, Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution prepared by Bahrain with support from Gulf states and the United States, which also called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.