Iran Offers Strait Reopening Deal, Tensions Rise in Middle East

The Iranian foreign minister has made a new offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear program, but it's unclear if hard-liners will accept compromises championed by moderates.

According to Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute think tank, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the plan at a private gathering on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

The proposal involves reopening the strait and resuming nuclear talks in seven days if the US lifts its naval blockade, waives oil sanctions, and observes a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan, has called on soldiers to be prepared to defend the country from Iran-backed Houthis.