Iran says discussing plan with mediators to end war, reopen Hormuz

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran was discussing with mediators ways to implement a seven-day plan to end the Middle East war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“While our Brave Armed Forces are fully prepared to defend the Homeland, Iran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed,” he said in a post on X.

“We remain in close and ongoing contact with intermediaries to review ideas that can ensure implementation of our 7-Day Plan in even less than a week.”

The remarks come amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks against Iran following their launch of the war in February.

In September, Iran proposed a seven-day plan that it conveyed to the United States through Qatar.

Araghchi said at the time that under the plan, Hormuz would reopen within seven days if “necessary conditions”, including a ceasefire across the Middle East, were met.

Iran has also demanded the unfreezing of its assets abroad, the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector, and an end to the US naval blockade.

US news website Axios reported on Wednesday that regional mediators led by Qatar were pushing for “a diplomatic deal” to restart US-Iran talks and prevent the resumption of war after the US midterm elections on November 3.

The report, citing US, Israeli and other regional sources, said the Qataris were trying “to convince Iran to allow UN inspectors to visit its bombed nuclear sites in return for some sanctions relief from the US”.

A Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Sunday for talks to review developments including the latest on negotiations, Hormuz and energy supplies, Iran said.

Since the war broke out, Iran has claimed control over the Hormuz strait and regularly targets vessels that attempt to cross without its authorisation, while the United States has imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis remain stalled, especially since the collapse of a June deal that laid out a pathway to a permanent settlement.

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