Iran Resends Hormuz Reopening Proposal to US, Rules Out Nuclear Talks
Summary
- Iran said it has resent the seven-day plan to the U.S. through Qatar for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran said it proposed reopening the waterway within seven days on the condition of a lifting of the maritime blockade, return of frozen assets, cessation of hostilities, and sanctions waivers for Iranian oil exports.
- The U.S. is seeking concessions related to Iran’s nuclear program, but Tehran said it will exclude the nuclear issue from the agenda and discuss only the Strait of Hormuz issue.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
Iran has again sent the U.S. a proposal through Qatar to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while reaffirming that it will make no concessions on its nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, told reporters on September 28 that he had held additional talks that day with Qatari mediators, according to the state-run IRNA and ISNA news agencies. He said he met the Qatari mediation team again on Monday, September 28, to discuss detailed ideas and is awaiting Washington’s final response.
Iran previously proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. lifts its maritime blockade, returns frozen assets, halts hostilities on all fronts and grants sanctions waivers for Iranian oil exports. The proposal, known as the “seven-day plan,” was conveyed again to the U.S. during indirect talks through Qatar.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly rejected Iran’s earlier proposal and is demanding concessions related to Tehran’s nuclear program. Araghchi said, however, that aside from Trump’s public comments, Iran has not received an official U.S. response through the mediators and will wait for Washington’s final position.
He also denied any possibility that the nuclear issue could be added to the agenda. Rejecting speculation that Iran might show flexibility over its nuclear program, Araghchi said that was “completely untrue” and strongly denied it. There has been no flexibility and no discussion of the issue, he said, adding that the agenda is limited solely to the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. and Iran are continuing indirect negotiations through Qatar rather than holding direct talks. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that Tehran has no plans to hold separate bilateral talks with the U.S.
Qatari mediators are set to contact both sides in succession from September 28 to September 29 to narrow differences over a revised version of the seven-day plan. Even so, the gap remains wide, with the U.S. pressing for concessions on the nuclear issue while Iran is restricting the talks to the Strait of Hormuz.
Suehyeon Lee
shlee@bloomingbit.ioI'm reporter Suehyeon Lee, your Web3 Moderator.