Iran offers seven-day Hormuz reopening under rejected peace plan

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday, October 17, that normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could resume within seven days if Washington accepts Tehran’s peace conditions, according to RT. US President Donald Trump rejected those terms last month, leaving the proposal without an agreed path to implementation.

Speaking at a ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Araghchi said Iran had transmitted a seven-day proposal through Qatar. He made the reopening conditional on meeting Iran’s requirements; his remarks did not announce an agreement or the start of a countdown.

Araghchi maintained that Tehran supported safe navigation and blamed US and Israeli military action for the disruption. That attribution reflects Iran’s position, not an independently established finding about responsibility.

What Tehran wants in exchange

Iran’s proposal ties the restoration of maritime passage to Washington ending its naval blockade, relaxing restrictions on Iranian oil exports and freeing some frozen Iranian assets. Tehran also seeks a halt to fighting across regional fronts, including Israeli operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

Trump rejected the package in September, arguing that Washington controlled the strait and held the stronger bargaining position. Araghchi’s latest statement renews the offer but does not establish that the US has changed its stance.

The minister argued that military force would not settle the dispute. The report also described Trump as having raised the possibility of renewed strikes, while saying he had ruled out attacks on Iran before the November 3 US midterm elections.

Shipping incidents add to the stakes

The account dates Iran’s closure of the waterway to shortly after the US and Israel began a bombing campaign on February 28. It also describes Iranian forces firing on ships using routes designated by the US Navy, which Tehran disputes as unlawful.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two oil tankers struck mines and caught fire while crossing the strait on Saturday. Those incidents remain attributed to the Iranian military; no independent confirmation is established here.

The report separately described the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride as having sunk after hitting a mine earlier in the week. Another cargo ship reportedly struck a mine but reached port. The account does not establish who laid the mines.

Oil markets reflect the disruption

Brent crude reportedly settled at $109.86 a barrel on Friday, up 3.7% and at a five-month high, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose above $100. The report linked the prolonged shipping disruption to higher energy prices and inflation concerns.

A conditional diplomatic offer is not yet a restoration of safe passage. Whether Tehran and Washington can agree on the wider military and economic terms remains unresolved.