Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has said the Strait of Hormuz will “never return” to its pre-war status, in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, 11 November, that set out Tehran’s terms for ending the eight-month conflict with the United States and Israel.
Mr Ghalibaf said Tehran and Oman had reached an understanding on overseeing the strategically important waterway, including its shipping lanes and traffic separation schemes. He said the understanding was part of Iran’s seven-point proposal to the United States to end the war, and that Iran was now awaiting an official response. “The ball is now in the American court,” he said.
The conflict began on 28 February, when American and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran in which the country’s former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed. Fighting has continued since, with naval operations around the strait, a continuing American blockade, and strikes on both sides.
Tehran’s proposal has been compressed into a two-day plan, put to Washington through Qatar, which is acting as mediator. Under the plan, the United States would on the first day lift its blockade on Iranian ports, approve sanction waivers on the sale of Iranian crude oil, and cancel all new sanctions. Once those measures were in place, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the second day to restore normal maritime traffic, with negotiations on other issues to follow.
President Donald Trump has tasked Vice President JD Vance with restarting negotiations with Iran, authorising him to pursue a possible diplomatic deal. Tehran has laid down seven conditions for any talks, insisting that Washington must first meet its demands.
The military backdrop remains tense. The United States has maintained a naval blockade against Iran, and US Central Command has reported that nearly 150 ships have been turned away. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have claimed that mines struck tankers in the strait, while American forces have repeatedly bombed Qeshm Island, Iran’s largest island in the strait, and Tehran has attacked navigation infrastructure on the Omani island of Didamar.
Iran has also warned that it could target American military bases in Europe if they were used to support attacks on its territory. Separately, Mehdi Mohammadi, a strategic adviser to Mr Ghalibaf, claimed on his Telegram channel that the American side had set a deadline of about two weeks, after which Mr Trump would decide whether to take military action.
Washington has so far been cool on Tehran’s terms. The United States has already rejected Iran’s conditions for reopening the strait, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling the demands “absurd”, even as Iran insists its two-day offer remains on the table.
The strait carries a large share of the world’s seaborne oil, and the fighting has disrupted shipping for months. Saudi oil output has returned to near pre-war levels, according to OPEC statements, but shipments continue to face delays, mine scares and the naval blockade.
What happens next depends on whether Washington answers Tehran’s proposal. Any official American response, or fresh figures from Central Command on shipping through the strait, will show whether the two sides are moving towards a deal or towards another round of fighting.
