Araghchi: Strait of Hormuz could reopen within days – on Iran's terms
Tehran sticks to its plan: reopening on day six and talks on day seven if the US lifts its blockade. Attacks on shipping hit a weekly record.
Archive image · Photo: IAEA Imagebank / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was still reviewing US 'comments' on Iran's seven-day ceasefire proposal from September, but that its conditions remained in place. 'The Strait of Hormuz will reopen on the sixth day,' with negotiations starting on the seventh, if Washington lifts its blockade of Iranian ports, the Tasnim agency quoted him as saying. The terms also include lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and a ceasefire on all fronts. 'Our conditions are fair,' Araghchi said.
According to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), at least 10 vessels have been attacked in or near the strait since last Sunday – the highest weekly count since the war began in February. UKMTO has counted 23 attacks since the start of October, almost double the average.
Araghchi accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of 'driving America into another war to stay out of jail'. US President Donald Trump said Russia was 'doing very little, if anything' to help Iran.