Iran Offers Deal to Open Strait of Hormuz in Six Days

Iran has proposed to open the Strait of Hormuz in six days if the US lifts sanctions on its oil exports, ends all wars including in Lebanon, and releases frozen assets. The proposal is based on the memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries in June.

The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said they have introduced a plan to the US through mediators that would allow the strait to be opened within seven days if certain conditions are met. He added that talks on Iran's nuclear program would start the day after.

Araghchi stated that the Iranian preconditions were not new and were contained in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed by Trump. The advantage of the proposal, apart from opening the strait and lifting the chokehold on the world economy, would be bringing the US to talks on Iran's nuclear program much more quickly.

The proposal has been met with caution from some Iranian officials who fear Israel will use its influence to pull the US president away from the deal. Araghchi also warned that the UK is committed to freedom of navigation in the strait and wants a diplomatic solution, while supporting Saudi Arabia, a UK ally in Yemen.