Iran proposes two-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iran has agreed to a "two-day plan" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, shortening its earlier seven-day proposal, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, as an Iranian delegation continues talks with mediators in Qatar. Iran proposes two-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz Araghchi stated that the proposal currently on the table is basically the same as the "seven-day plan" previously proposed by Iran. The "seven-day plan" set out the conditions for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, stipulating that if Iran's conditions are met, the strait will be reopened on the sixth day, and U.S.-Iran negotiations will resume on the seventh day. Mediators such as Qatar and Pakistan have also held multiple consultations and discussions on this matter, putting forward suggestions that are more feasible and actionable than Iran's "seven-day plan". One of Qatar's suggestions was to shorten the seven-day timeline to five or even fewer days, Araghchi said, and the Iranian delegation discussed the idea with the Qatari side during their visit. Currently, Iran agrees to a "two-day plan" under which the United States will take a series of compliance measures on the first day, the Strait of Hormuz will open on the second day, and traffic will return to what it was before the conflict. Araghchi stated that the U.S. must meet the relevant conditions, all of which were mentioned in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The conditions Iran has set for the U.S. reportedly include determining new navigation routes for the Strait of Hormuz, releasing all frozen Iranian funds, ending regional wars including in Lebanon, lifting the naval blockade, restoring sanctions waivers for Iranian oil exports, and lifting new sanctions imposed by the U.S. after the Islamabad MoU. Araghchi emphasized that the Iranian side mentioned other conditions in the submitted letter, which have nothing unreasonable about them, provided that the U.S. side shows sincerity, has a genuine desire to reach an agreement, and truly seeks a peaceful solution. He pointed out that all these issues are now on the table. As long as the U.S. side abides by the "two-day plan", this will pave the way for peace and returning the Strait of Hormuz to normal. Only after the U.S. fulfills its relevant commitments and the strait is opened will the path to resuming negotiations between the two countries be opened. The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday announced that two "violating" oil tankers, including a supertanker, suffered explosions and were stopped after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz within the preceding hours. In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the tankers were transiting the "unauthorized" route in the strait. It added the supertanker "suffered a massive explosion and is burning", stressing that both vessels had turned off their navigation and identification systems. Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.