Iran Offers to Reopen Strait of Hormuz if U.S. Lifts Blockade, Ends War

Iran has offered to end its disruption of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade and agreeing to end the war.

The US blockade aims to curb Iran’s oil exports, cutting off a vital source of revenue and potentially forcing Tehran to scale back. (Photo: Alex R. Forster, U.S. Navy)

It also proposed that discussions on the broader issue of its nuclear program be deferred to a later phase, two regional officials said. Samy Magdy, Jon Gambrell, and Elena Becatoros reported the development for the Associated Press (AP).

US President Donald Trump appears unlikely to accept the proposal, which was reportedly conveyed to Washington through Pakistan.

The offer would leave unresolved the core disputes that led to the US and Israel entering the conflict on Feb. 28.

With a fragile ceasefire in place, the US and Iran remain locked in a standoff over the strait, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes during normal conditions.

The US blockade aims to curb Iran’s oil exports, cutting off a vital source of revenue and potentially forcing Tehran to scale back production due to storage constraints.

The disruption of the strait has increased pressure on Washington, as oil and gasoline prices have surged ahead of key midterm elections. It has also strained US allies in the Gulf, which rely on the waterway to export energy supplies.

Globally, the crisis has driven up the cost of fertilizer, food, and other essential goods.

The proposal would delay negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Trump has said that preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons was a primary reason for the military action, according to reporting by Munir Ahmed for AP and ABC News.