Iran cuts deadline for partial reopening of Strait of Hormuz to two days — Al Jazeera

Iran has reduced from seven to two days the deadline after which its proposal to partially reopen the Strait of Hormuz may be implemented, provided Tehran's demands are met. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said this in an interview with Al Jazeera after two days of Qatari-mediated negotiations.

The talks took place in Tehran on Friday and in Qatar on Saturday. Araghchi said an agreement with the United States is possible if Iran's demands are fulfilled in practice. At the same time, he stressed the country's readiness for various escalation scenarios, including an expansion of attacks or preventive action if Tehran considers war inevitable.

Differences over concessions

US President Donald Trump said the talks were going well but called the Iranian authorities unreliable. He also told journalists that the United States still needed to “take care of” one or two sites in Iran, referring to possible further strikes on the country's nuclear facilities.

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Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, said there are signs of Washington's interest in a negotiated settlement, including through Qatar's mediation and US Vice President J.D. Vance's recent contacts. In her assessment, Iran seeks a range of concessions, while the United States insists on progress on Iran's nuclear program before granting concessions.

Tehran's conditions and the situation in the strait

Security chief Mohsen Rezaei told state television that normal movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters would not resume until the United States meets Tehran's demands. Among them, he named lifting the maritime blockade, easing oil sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets abroad, ending hostilities on regional fronts, including in Lebanon, and recognizing a bilateral Iranian-Omani agreement on the strait.

According to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a liquefied petroleum gas vessel was hit by three Iranian projectiles on Saturday approximately 74 kilometers south of Iran's Lavan Island. At least four tankers were attacked on Friday and Saturday, the outlet reported. Iranian military leaders also said they were ready to use missiles, drones, and other means in the event of escalation.