By Wasila Yakubu
Iran has called on the United States to accept its proposed conditions for ending the ongoing conflict, offering to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours if Washington meets its demands.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a peaceful resolution would require diplomatic engagement and a willingness by the US to address Tehran’s conditions, arguing that military pressure and economic sanctions would not bring the conflict to an end.
Speaking on Tuesday, Araghchi maintained that Iran’s proposal remained available for negotiations and urged Washington to approach the situation through dialogue rather than confrontation.
Tehran’s offer includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a major international shipping route that Iran has blocked since the outbreak of the war, in exchange for a series of concessions from the United States.
Among Iran’s demands are an end to hostilities across all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian financial assets, the removal of oil-related sanctions and the termination of the American blockade targeting Iranian ports.
The proposal comes as US President Donald Trump has indicated that diplomatic efforts may be producing progress towards ending the eight-month conflict.
After meeting Qatar’s prime minister at the White House on Monday, Trump described developments as encouraging and expressed optimism about the possibility of bringing the war to an end.
Although he maintained that the United States remained prepared for further military action, the president suggested additional strikes were becoming less likely, noting that key Gulf allies preferred the current situation to further escalation.
Trump also stressed that any agreement must protect American interests.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts involving Qatar and Pakistan are continuing as both countries work towards finding a settlement between Washington and Tehran.
The conflict began in late February following US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a wider confrontation.
However, Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, adopted a tougher position on Tuesday, insisting that Washington must accept Tehran’s demands.
In a post on X, Rezaei called on the United States to surrender to Iran’s conditions and dismissed suggestions of ongoing negotiations as fabricated.
His remarks underline the challenges facing diplomatic efforts, despite Trump's expression of optimism about a possible agreement.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the negotiations because of its importance to international energy shipments and global maritime trade. Any agreement that restores safe passage through the waterway could have significant implications for oil markets and the wider global economy.
Wasila Yakubu
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