Iran Offers to Reopen Strait of Hormuz in Two Days If US Meets Conditions

Iran said on 2 November 2026 that it is prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the United States accepts a set of conditions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei described the shortened timeline as further evidence of Tehran’s good-faith approach. The original proposal, conveyed through Qatar in September, had envisaged a seven-day process.

Iran’s conditions include ending the war on all fronts, lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, unfreezing Iranian assets held abroad, and removing sanctions on Iranian oil sales. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that Washington must also accept a transit route through the strait agreed between Iran and Oman, reduce US troop numbers in the region, and remove sanctions imposed since August. Ships using the reopened strait would travel under Iranian supervision along the agreed route.

Indirect talks have continued through mediators. Qatar and Pakistan have played active roles. A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on 2 November to meet Araghchi. Iranian negotiators had left earlier rounds in Doha, and a draft proposal is circulating. US Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iranian national security chief Mohsen Rezaei, which Iranian officials described as showing a changed tone. Vance later said he and President Trump felt optimistic about the prospects for a negotiated settlement.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a central point of friction in the eight-month conflict. Iran has restricted passage, and oil prices have fluctuated with reports of possible reopening. Brent crude fell more than 6 percent in one session earlier in the week on hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough. Two oil tankers were reported to have struck mines in the strait in recent days, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, which said the vessels had used an unauthorised route.

The diplomatic push comes on the eve of US midterm elections. Higher fuel prices and the costs of the conflict have weighed on Republican prospects. Trump has said a deal with Tehran could happen and has at times raised doubts about ordering fresh strikes. Netanyahu has pressed for renewed military action in phone calls with Trump. China has publicly supported Iran’s sovereignty and security while calling for dialogue.

Iran’s seven-step plan from September remains the basis of the current discussions. Baghaei said an exchange of messages is ongoing and that everything depends on the US side accepting Iran’s demands. Only then, he said, can subsequent stages be discussed. Araghchi told IRNA that consultations are very intensive given the sensitivity of the situation.

The offer does not resolve the wider conflict. Fighting has continued in other theatres, including Yemen, where Houthi forces have advanced toward Aden, and in Gaza, where Israeli strikes have killed additional civilians in recent days. Gulf states have expressed concern about further escalation and have called for a diplomatic off-ramp. The United Arab Emirates has said military solutions offer no quick exit from the crisis with Iran.

Any agreement to reopen the strait would immediately affect global oil flows. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil normally passes through Hormuz. A supervised reopening under Iranian conditions would still leave questions about insurance, shipping routes and the durability of the arrangement. Markets have reacted to each incremental statement, with prices falling on signs of progress and rising on reports of continued tension.

The two-day timeline is the shortest Iran has publicly offered. Whether Washington will accept the full set of conditions remains open. Trump has previously rejected earlier versions of the proposal. The letter from Vance and the continued mediator traffic suggest talks have not ended, even as military preparations continue on both sides. The outcome will shape energy prices, shipping insurance costs and the remaining years of the current US administration.