NEW YORK, September 26: Iran has proposed a seven-day route toward ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, placing a new diplomatic offer before Washington as the conflict continues to disrupt the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi outlined the proposal while President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was willing to reach an agreement with the United States.
According to Dawn, the Iranian plan calls for a seven-day halt to fighting, the release of at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade. Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the seventh day if its conditions were met. Araghchi said he was awaiting a US response.
The proposal is an offer, not an agreed ceasefire. A previous arrangement broke down in June, and the latest conditions would require decisions by both sides before shipping through the crucial waterway could return to normal.
Diplomatic contacts are continuing alongside the public statements. Qatar said its prime minister met Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss de-escalation and the conditions needed for dialogue. Pakistan has also presented its mediation efforts as a way to reduce tensions between Tehran and Washington.
The stakes reach beyond the two countries. Restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz affect trade and travel across the region, making any agreement to stop fighting and reopen the route significant for the wider world economy.
