Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, creating a potential opening for renewed diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that Iran’s delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York had full authority to revive diplomatic discussions with the United States. The official said Washington would first need to formally declare that it wanted to resolve the conflict through diplomacy and agree on a timeline for negotiations.
The proposal comes amid renewed tensions between the two countries and warnings from Iran that any new US military operation could trigger retaliation.
Iran links Hormuz to a diplomatic process
Iran’s position connects the reopening of the strategic waterway directly to broader negotiations with Washington.
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The Iranian official said Tehran’s proposal had been delivered to the United States through mediators on September 16. Details of a possible agreement to end hostilities could now be discussed in New York, where both sides have diplomatic representatives for the UN General Assembly.
Iranian military authorities warned on Sunday that the United States appeared to be preparing to restart military operations with support from regional countries. Tehran said any renewed attack would lead to retaliation without restrictions.
The latest proposal therefore creates two competing tracks: continued military pressure and a possible return to indirect diplomacy.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian travelled to New York on Tuesday for the UN General Assembly. However, the senior Iranian official said he would not meet US President Donald Trump at UN headquarters.
Why the Strait of Hormuz matters
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider global shipping network.
Before the Iran conflict began on February 28, roughly one fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the strait. Shipping traffic has since fallen dramatically, with preliminary data showing only two commercial vessels crossed the waterway on Monday, compared with about 125 large commercial vessels per day before the conflict.
The disruption has affected global energy markets. Reports of Iran’s offer to reopen the waterway within seven days contributed to a decline in oil prices on Tuesday, although the wider energy market remains under pressure from disruptions elsewhere.
A full reopening would therefore have consequences far beyond Iran and the United States, potentially improving the flow of crude oil, refined products and liquefied natural gas through one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
The US faces a diplomatic choice
Iran’s proposal puts the United States in a position where military and diplomatic options are closely connected.
Tehran is asking Washington to take initial steps before the waterway is reopened, including easing military pressure and lifting the blockade affecting Iranian ports. In return, Iran says it can restore access through Hormuz within a week.
Washington has not publicly accepted those conditions, while tensions remain over the possibility of renewed US military action.
At the same time, Trump has indicated that he would be open to meeting Pezeshkian during the UN gathering. The possibility of renewed negotiations has therefore emerged alongside the military confrontation rather than after it has been fully resolved.
A narrow opportunity for diplomacy
The UN General Assembly provides Tehran and Washington with an opportunity to use diplomatic channels while both governments are already represented in New York.
The Iranian official described the gathering as a “golden opportunity” for Washington to return to diplomacy and said Tehran would welcome renewed negotiations if the United States takes tangible steps.
The challenge is that the two sides remain far apart over the conditions for ending hostilities. Iran wants a reduction in military pressure and the lifting of restrictions on its ports, while Washington has yet to signal that it will accept those conditions.
The proposal also comes after months of indirect negotiations and temporary arrangements that have failed to produce a durable settlement. The Strait of Hormuz has remained one of the central unresolved issues in discussions between Tehran and Washington.
What happens next?
The immediate question is whether Washington responds to Tehran’s proposal through diplomatic channels or moves toward renewed military pressure.
For Iran, reopening Hormuz could provide a route toward reducing economic and diplomatic pressure while demonstrating that the waterway can become part of a negotiated settlement.
For the United States, the issue extends beyond the bilateral conflict because continued disruption threatens energy supplies and global shipping. Reports of a possible reopening have already affected oil markets, showing how quickly developments around the strait can influence the wider global economy.
The next stage of diplomacy in New York could therefore determine whether the Hormuz crisis becomes another source of escalation or a starting point for renewed negotiations.
Iran’s seven day proposal does not amount to a final agreement, but it provides a specific condition and timeline around which indirect diplomacy could develop. Whether Washington views that offer as a basis for talks will be central to the future of the Strait of Hormuz and the broader US Iran confrontation.
With information from Reuters.
