Iran says it could reopen Strait of Hormuz within seven days if US eases military pressure ahead of UNGA summit
Tehran, Sep 22 (UNI) Iran says it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, provided the US eases its military pressure and agrees to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday, offering a possible opening for renewed diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.
The official said Washington would first have to formally commit to resolving the dispute through diplomacy and agree to a timetable for talks Iran's delegation at the UN General Assembly in New York has full authority to revive talks with Washington, the official said. He said mediators in New York could begin discussing the terms of a deal to end the fighting. Tehran had already sent its proposal to Washington through intermediaries on September 16. "The UN General Assembly is a golden opportunity for the US to return to diplomacy," the official said, adding that Iran would welcome renewed talks if Washington took tangible steps.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian left Tehran for New York on Tuesday to attend the General Assembly. The official said Pezeshkian would not meet US President Donald Trump. The remarks come post a statement on Sunday from Iran's military central command, which said it had been told that the US was preparing to resume operations with support from regional countries. It further warned that any fresh attack would prompt an Iranian response "without limitations and considerations". Shipping through the Strait continues to remain a fraction of its pre-war levels, with only two commodity vessels having managed to cross the waterway on Monday, down from 10 the previous day, according to preliminary data from shipping analytics company Kpler.
The vessels were a Panama-flagged Supramax and a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier. Two other vessels were hit in separate incidents while passing through the Strait, according to maritime intelligence firm Marisks. The Isle of Man-flagged crude tanker LR Stephanie was hit by an unidentified projectile while entering the waterway on Monday, injuring two crew members slightly. A day earlier, the Liberia-flagged LPG tanker Al Maryah was struck while leaving the strait. Both vessels continued their journeys without requiring towing assistance. Marisks said responsibility for the attacks remained unconfirmed and neither vessel appeared on publicly reported Iranian Persian Gulf Strait Authority lists of non-compliant ships.
Kpler cautioned that its figures do not include vessels that may have switched off their automatic identification system transponders to avoid detection. Before the war began on February 28, roughly 125 large commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers and container ships. The waterway handles roughly about 20% of global daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea was steadier, with 26 vessels crossing on Monday, unchanged from the previous day. The possibility of reopening Hormuz has already affected energy markets. Brent crude fell to a two-week low on Tuesday as traders assessed the prospect of increased Gulf supplies following the Iranian proposal.
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