Tehran: Iran is awaiting an official response from the United States to its latest proposal concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, as mediated talks over the strategic shipping route gathered momentum.
Araghchi said reopening the strait would depend on conditions laid down by Iran’s leadership being fulfilled.
“There are conditions that have been emphasised by the [supreme] leader, and these conditions must be implemented for the Strait of Hormuz to open,” Araghchi was quoted as saying by Iran’s Mehr news agency.
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He added that Iran had presented what it considers a path towards an agreement, saying that if Washington is seeking a peaceful solution, Tehran’s proposal provides a framework for one.
Araghchi met Qatari and Pakistani mediators on Monday as diplomatic efforts continued to address the months-long conflict and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. He said discussions had become “more serious” following Iran’s submission of its latest plan.
According to Araghchi, Qatari intermediaries presented additional ideas during the discussions and were expected to raise them again with the US side before conveying Washington’s final response to Tehran.
He said Qatar hoped to receive and communicate the US response by Tuesday, after which Iranian authorities would assess the proposal and make a decision in Tehran.
Araghchi stressed that the immediate focus of the talks remained the Strait of Hormuz, saying its reopening was conditional on the fulfilment of requirements already communicated to the other side.
The negotiations come as the Strait remains at the centre of global energy concerns. The strategic route is critical to international oil and gas shipments, and uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran conflict has continued to affect global energy markets and crude prices.
Iran’s broader proposal reportedly includes measures aimed at ending hostilities, addressing sanctions and frozen assets, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme. US and Iranian officials have been communicating indirectly through mediators as efforts continue to find a negotiated solution.
