November 2, 2026
By Stephen Iwuh | Dalena Reporters
Iran has said the strategically important Strait of Hormuz could be reopened within two days if the United States agrees to conditions set by Tehran, offering a potentially significant opening for diplomacy as efforts continue to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday that Tehran was considering shortening the timetable for its proposed plan from one week to just two days. He described the move as another indication of Iran's willingness to pursue a diplomatic solution, while stressing that implementation depends on Washington accepting Iran's demands.
“If Iran's demands are met,” Baqaei said, restoring security to the Strait and restarting negotiations could be possible within a short period. He added that messages between Iran and the United States were continuing to be exchanged through mediators, but said the next step depended on Washington.
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 Arabian Sea. Any prolonged disruption to shipping through the waterway has the potential to affect global oil supplies, energy prices and international trade.
Iran's latest proposal follows several days of diplomatic contacts involving Qatar. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that discussions had produced a proposed two-day arrangement under which the United States would take specified measures on the first day, followed by the reopening of the waterway and restoration of normal transit on the second.
Tehran has made clear, however, that reopening the waterway would not happen automatically. Iranian officials say the United States must first meet a series of conditions, including ending the conflict, lifting or removing certain sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets held abroad and ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Araghchi has also outlined additional Iranian demands, including acceptance of a new transit arrangement through the Strait agreed between Iran and Oman, reductions in US troop numbers in the region and the removal of sanctions imposed in recent months.
Iran's position has effectively placed the next move on Washington. Baqaei said Tehran had already communicated its demands through Qatari mediators and that the diplomatic exchange was continuing.
The development comes as Iranian and Qatari officials work to establish a framework for broader negotiations. Iranian negotiators recently left Doha following several days of consultations, while officials emphasized that their departure did not necessarily indicate that the diplomatic effort had broken down.
The United States, meanwhile, has continued to signal that the conflict could still take a military turn. President Donald Trump has warned that Washington retains military targets in Iran, while Tehran has repeatedly threatened a strong response to any new attack. Baqaei said Monday that any military aggression against Iran would receive an immediate and comprehensive response.
The diplomatic efforts are unfolding just ahead of the US midterm elections, adding another layer of political pressure to the negotiations. Trump has said that the United States will not launch new attacks before the election, while also refusing to completely rule out further military action afterward.
The conflict has already disrupted energy markets and increased concerns over the security of commercial shipping across the Gulf. A reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could therefore have consequences well beyond the immediate US-Iran confrontation, particularly for countries that depend heavily on Gulf energy exports.
Despite the latest proposal, there is no confirmed agreement between Washington and Tehran. Iran's offer remains conditional on the United States accepting its demands, and officials on both sides continue to negotiate indirectly through mediators.
For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the diplomatic standoff. Iran's willingness to consider reopening it within 48 hours could provide a path toward renewed negotiations, but whether that opportunity develops into a broader agreement will depend largely on whether Washington and Tehran can overcome their major differences.
The latest proposal nevertheless represents one of the clearest diplomatic signals in recent days that Iran is prepared to restore security and commercial passage through the strategically vital waterway if its conditions are met.