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Iran says it has given US 'concrete' seven-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz

A US official said they are having positive, constructive discussions with Iran through mediators and continue to discuss nuclear issues.

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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Iran has given US 'concrete' seven-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz. Picture: Alamy

By Ella Bennett

Iran has given the United States a "concrete" seven-day plan to open the Strait of Hormuz, and the choice now rests with the US, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

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Speaking to reporters at the United Nations in New York on Friday, Mr Araghchi said if the necessary conditions are met, "the Strait can be reopened".

He said a "normal" maritime passage could be restored in as little as seven days, but added: "The choice now rests with the United States."

"The actions that the United States should take are not new," he continued.

"They are all already in the MOU," he said, referring to the memorandum of understanding that Iran and the United States agreed to in June.

Read more: Iran's president says it is up to US to choose if it wants to end Iran war

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Commercial vessels are seen anchored between Iranâs Qeshm and Larak islands amid disruptions to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz
Commercial vessels are seen anchored between Iranâs Qeshm and Larak islands amid disruptions to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Picture: Getty

When asked about the proposed plan, a US official said they are having positive, constructive discussions with Iran through mediators and continue to discuss nuclear issues.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters earlier on Friday that Iran will show no flexibility over its nuclear program even if the United States accepts its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the waterway would remain closed until “all of Iran’s conditions are met” by the United States.

Under Iran’s proposal, Tehran has offered to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Within seven days, hostilities would end on all fronts, including Lebanon; the United States would lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release Iran’s frozen funds and waive its oil sanctions, Iran's foreign minister said on Thursday.

The proposal follows a sharp escalation in Middle East tensions after seven months of war between Iran and the United States, with Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen launching missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia.

The strait has become the central bargaining chip in efforts to end the US-Iran conflict, with Iran seeking relief from the US blockade that is choking its economy and Washington seeking free passage for ships on the global oil supply route now ‌blocked by Tehran.