Iran has offered to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours if the United States agrees to its conditions, amid renewed threats of military action from President Donald Trump.
A senior Iranian official said on Monday that the proposal demonstrated Tehran’s willingness to pursue diplomacy and prevent a fresh outbreak of hostilities.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters that the country could restore security along the vital shipping route and resume negotiations within a short period if Washington accepted its demands.
“The possibility of implementing this plan in two days is another indication of Iran’s good-faith approach,” Baqaei said.
He added that further discussions would depend on the United States agreeing to Iran’s conditions.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage connecting the Gulf to international markets, normally handles about one-fifth of global oil consumption. Its blockade since the war began in February has driven up energy prices and created economic and political challenges for the Trump administration.
In September, Tehran proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the waterway, demanding an end to hostilities across all fronts, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, the lifting of oil sanctions and the termination of the US counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
Baqaei said communications between Tehran and Washington were continuing through mediators, but stressed that progress depended on the US response.
“Only then can we discuss the subsequent stages,” he said.
The diplomatic offer comes as Trump intensifies his rhetoric against Iran ahead of the US midterm elections, with rising fuel prices and inflation featuring prominently in the campaign.
Addressing supporters at a rally in Iowa, Trump warned that Washington could resort to further military action if efforts to resolve the conflict failed.
“The only reason why I’m not finished with Iran is I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can,” he said, adding that the United States might eventually have to give Iran “the hammer.”
Diplomatic efforts intensify
Several countries, including Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have engaged in diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States.
Oman has also called for a peaceful resolution, with its ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, discussing the conflict with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing on Monday.
According to an Omani Foreign Ministry statement, both leaders called on Washington and Tehran to pursue diplomacy, secure a ceasefire and prevent a wider war.
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China has similarly urged all parties to prioritise negotiations over military confrontation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, that disputes should be resolved through political means rather than renewed armed conflict.
Bagheri, however, maintained that Iran would not compromise on its sovereignty, national security and territorial integrity.
Iran warns of immediate retaliation
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera that the United States must accept a new transit arrangement agreed upon by Iran and Oman for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
He also called for Washington to lift recently imposed sanctions and reduce its military presence in the region.
The United States has introduced additional sanctions against Iran since August as part of what it described as a campaign of economic pressure.
The latest diplomatic moves follow the joint US-Israeli attack that triggered the war on February 28.
Trump said on Saturday that he still needed to deal with one or two remaining targets, including Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran, which is suspected by some to be a nuclear facility. Tehran denies that the site is a nuclear installation.
Responding to the threats, Baqaei warned that any renewed military action against Iran would attract a forceful response.
“Any act of aggression against Iran, any military attack against Iran, by whatever means, will be met with a powerful, immediate and comprehensive response from us,” he said.
Iran also warned on Sunday that another round of fighting could last longer than the previous phase of the conflict.
The latest developments come as the United States prepares for its midterm elections, with Democrats seeking to gain at least partial control of Congress and potentially constrain Trump’s legislative and political agenda.