Iran links Hormuz reopening to US de-escalation steps (Img: X)
New Delhi: Iran has signalled that it could reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.
The proposal comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high, while both sides have indicated that diplomacy could still offer a possible route towards de-escalation. The Strait of Hormuz remains a key shipping route for energy supplies, making any change in its status significant for global markets.
The Iranian official said, "The US needs to announce that it wants to resolve the issue diplomatically, make that official, and then agree on a timeline for how the process will move forward."
The official said Iran had already conveyed its proposal to the United States through mediators on September 16. Tehran’s delegation attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York has also been given full authority to revive diplomatic engagement with Washington, according to the official.
"The UN General Assembly is a golden opportunity for the US to return to diplomacy", the official said, adding that Iran would welcome a revival of talks if Washington takes tangible steps.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is travelling to New York on Tuesday for the UN General Assembly. However, the Iranian official said Pezeshkian would not hold a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at UN headquarters. Instead, Tehran expects mediators in New York could help discuss the details of a possible arrangement to end hostilities.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, told NBC News that Washington was open to meeting Iranian officials at the United Nations, although no such meeting had been scheduled.
"We're open to that. I don't think anything is scheduled at this point, but we're certainly open to something like that, especially if it has the prospects of leading to something positive and ultimately achieving the goal of what this is all about," Rubio said in an interview with the Today show.
He said the central US objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
"And that is the fact that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. They just simply can't."
Rubio’s comments came after Trump indicated that he was "probably open" to meeting Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
At the same time, Trump has continued to issue warnings alongside his comments about a possible diplomatic opening. In a Fox News interview, he said Iran faced three choices: "wiping Iran out," allowing its economy to "rot" or reaching a deal.
"My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up," he said.
"They better behave," Trump warned.
The contrasting messages from Tehran and Washington come as diplomats gather in New York, with Iran placing conditions on any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the United States indicating that a meeting could be considered if it could contribute to its stated objectives.
