Iran Offers Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz and Resume Nuclear Talks
Iran has proposed a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear program in seven days, according to Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute think tank. The proposal was made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a private gathering on Thursday at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The deal would require the US to lift its naval blockade, waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and observe a ceasefire that includes Lebanon. This arrangement is similar to the Memorandum Of Understanding reached in June but with an accelerated timetable. The earlier agreement quickly collapsed as Iran resumed attacks on shipping in the strait.
The proposal reflects Tehran's suspicion that Washington is using diplomacy to make it harder for Iranians to launch pre-emptive strikes before the midterms, according to Parsi. If Trump calculates this arrangement is worthwhile and can bring political benefit before the midterms and reduce gas prices, perhaps we'll see flexibility not seen in previous weeks.