NEW YORK: Iran has given the United States five days to meet Tehran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, as diplomatic efforts continue alongside the UN General Assembly.
Rezaei said Iran’s conditions had been conveyed through mediators and linked the maritime dispute to wider demands surrounding the conflict. His remarks add a specific deadline to negotiations over the waterway, which has become one of the most consequential points of pressure in the war.
The latest statement follows an earlier indication from a senior Iranian official that Tehran could reopen Hormuz within seven days if Washington eased military pressure and lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.
The two formulations are not identical. The earlier proposal described a possible reopening timetable if US measures were relaxed, while Rezaei’s latest remarks set out a five-day period for Washington to meet Iranian conditions.
Hormuz at centre of diplomacy
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a critical route for oil, liquefied natural gas and other commercial shipping.
Traffic through the waterway has remained far below normal levels during the conflict, although some vessels continue to transit the strait. Shipping data also has limitations because vessels can switch off their Automatic Identification System transponders.
Iranian officials have said reopening Hormuz is among the issues being discussed through diplomatic channels in New York. Tehran has also sought relief from the US naval blockade as part of its proposals.
No agreement on the strait had been announced by Thursday afternoon.
The five-day deadline therefore marks the latest Iranian negotiating position rather than a confirmed timetable for reopening Hormuz. Whether it produces a change in shipping conditions will depend on the response from Washington and the course of the wider negotiations.