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Iran says ready to reopen Strait of Hormuz in two days: ‘Everything depends on US’
Iran said an exchange of messages was ongoing with the US through mediators and that "everything depends" on the US side accepting Tehran's conditions.
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Amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Iran-US war, Tehran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that the country was open to the possibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the US met its demands.
According to news agency AFP, the Iranian official said an exchange of messages was ongoing with the US through mediators and that "everything depends" on the US side accepting the Iranian demands: "Only then can we discuss the subsequent stages."
“We have stated that, if Iran's demands are met, it would be possible to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and resume the negotiating process within a short period,” Baqaei was quoted as saying.
According to AFP, Iran's demands include ending the Middle East war on all fronts, the unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad, lifting sanctions on its oil sector, and an end to the US naval blockade.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the US must accept a new route agreed between Iran and Oman for transit through the strait. He said the US must also remove sanctions imposed in recent months and reduce American troop numbers in the region.
Concerns over US-Israel striking Iran
Iran's proposal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz within two days comes even as concerns are high over the US and Israel possibly striking Tehran shortly after Tuesday's midterm elections in the US.
According to an Axios report, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing US President Donald Trump to strike Iran immediately after the elections but the Republican wants to see how the negotiations pan out.
Also Read: 'Next war could last longer': Iran warns US as Trump hints at fresh strikes
Trump told reporters on Sunday that he had a "very good" call with Netanyahu. He said they discussed Iran but gave no details. Axios quoted an Israeli source as saying that the call was "tough," while the US source described it as "direct."
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint in the Persian Gulf through which nearly one-fifth of the world's oil supply transits, has faced repeated disruptions since the US-Iran war began in February this year.
Iran claims control over the waterway regularly targets vessels that attempt to cross the strait without its authorisation.
