Iran said Monday it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if Washington met its demands, as an official briefed on Qatari-mediated talks said a draft proposal to end the war with the U.S. was being circulated.
Iranian negotiators left Doha earlier Sunday, though their departure was not due to difficulties in the negotiations, the official told Reuters. A follow-up meeting was possible, they said, without providing details of the draft.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi had visited Doha to facilitate exchanges with Washington through Qatari intermediaries.
Baghaei added that the talks were based on a seven-step proposal Iran put forward in September to reopen Hormuz and end the U.S. naval blockade on Iran. Tehran now says the plan could be implemented more quickly.
"The possibility of implementing this plan in two days is another indication of Iran's good-faith approach," he said.
"We have stated that, if Iran's demands are met, it would be possible to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and resume the negotiating process within a short period."
Baghaei said messages were still being exchanged through mediators and that "everything depends" on Washington accepting Tehran’s demands.
"Only then can we discuss the subsequent stages."
Iran’s conditions include ending the Middle East war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian assets abroad, lifting sanctions on its oil sector and ending the U.S. naval blockade.
"Our demands have been articulated very clearly and transparently. These demands are reasonable and logical: no final agreement can be initiated, nor can the Strait of Hormuz be reopened or secured, unless the U.S. naval blockade is brought to an end, Iran's demands are respected, and Iran's legitimate requirements are addressed," Baghaei said.
The September proposal, conveyed to Washington through Qatar, envisaged a seven-day process, with the strait reopening on the sixth day after the United States met Iranian demands. President Donald Trump rejected the initial proposal.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Hormuz could reopen within two days under an agreement.
He also said Washington must accept a new transit route through the strait agreed upon by Iran and Oman, remove sanctions imposed in recent months and reduce U.S. troop numbers in the region.
Since the Middle East war began in late February, Iran has claimed control over Hormuz, a vital shipping passage for global energy supplies and regularly targeted vessels attempting to cross without its authorization. Washington imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in response.
Since August, the United States has also imposed a new round of sanctions as part of what it called the "economic asphyxiation" of Iran.
The diplomatic exchanges come amid concerns that fighting could escalate after Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. The United States and Israel have intensified threats in recent days to renew attacks on Iran amid crucial elections in both countries.
Trump has said Washington would not launch new attacks before the U.S. vote and described talks with Tehran as productive, though he has not ruled out further military action.
On Saturday, Trump said he still had to "take care" of one or two targets, including Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran, a suspected nuclear site. Tehran denies it is a nuclear facility.
Baghaei warned Monday that Iran would retaliate against any renewed attack.
"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.
Asked about the U.S. midterms, Baghaei said Tehran did not expect the elections to "give birth to a new U.S."
