Iran has kept its offer to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz within days on the table, even as its Revolutionary Guards Navy reported that two oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines in the volatile waterway, deepening concerns over global energy supplies.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that Tehran’s proposal to the United States remained valid, insisting that the strait could reopen within six days if Washington accepted Iran’s conditions, with negotiations resuming the following day. The offer, first presented in mid-September after an interim ceasefire collapsed, comes amid mounting tensions between the two countries and continued disruption to one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.
Tehran has acknowledged receiving a US response, but Iran’s security chief said last week that negotiations had stalled because Washington had failed to address all seven of its demands. Iran’s conditions include lifting the US blockade on its ports, removing sanctions on its oil exports and ending hostilities across all regional fronts.
Tehran insists that talks should initially focus on restoring security and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, rather than beginning with disputes over its nuclear programme. Washington, however, has pushed for nuclear concessions from the outset. US Vice-President JD Vance said earlier this month that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity to meet American demands and bring the eight-month war to an end.
The diplomatic impasse has unfolded against a backdrop of escalating maritime incidents. Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, reported on Saturday that two oil tankers, carrying a combined cargo of about two million barrels of crude oil, caught fire after hitting naval mines while attempting to cross the strait.
The claims have not been independently verified. According to Iranian state media, both vessels had switched off their positioning and radar systems and attempted to navigate a route not authorised by Tehran. One tanker was reportedly left immobilised after striking a mine, while reports said the other also hit a mine during its passage through the waterway.
The incidents follow reports from maritime officials last Wednesday that a container ship and a dry bulk carrier sank near the strait after being struck by projectiles in separate incidents. Attacks around the waterway have intensified over the past fortnight, with Tehran saying it is escalating strikes in response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions imposed last month.