Iran proposes 7-day truce to reopen Strait of Hormuz, restart US talks

Iran has proposed a seven-day ceasefire across the Middle East that would allow it to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations with the United States, as Tehran seeks a deal before the November midterm elections, according to AFP and CBS News.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait could be reopened within seven days if Washington accepts a set of conditions. The proposal includes a seven-day halt to hostilities across the region, including Lebanon, the release of at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil and an end to the US naval blockade of Iran.

Under the plan, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the seventh day of the truce and begin broader talks with Washington. Araghchi said Tehran was awaiting a US response and claimed China supported the proposal.

The proposal was first reported by Japan's Kyodo news agency, citing a senior Iranian official. Iranian media later denied the report, while authorities in Tehran had not publicly clarified their position. Araghchi subsequently confirmed that a proposal had been presented.

Iranian President also said Thursday that Tehran wants to reach an agreement with Washington before the November US midterm elections. Araghchi has also held talks with US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff.

The Strait of Hormuz, a major global energy route, has remained at the centre of the conflict. Iran has previously demanded several conditions for ending hostilities and reopening the waterway.

Meanwhile, Iran's deputy foreign minister accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using his address to the UN General Assembly to justify what Tehran described as war and aggression. He also said the mass walkouts during Netanyahu's speech sent a stronger message than the address itself.

Separately, CBS News reported that US troops at a small Kuwaiti port who were hit in a deadly Iranian drone attack during the opening days of the war could have been moved to safer positions in western Saudi Arabia. According to multiple sources cited by CBS, the relocation plans were rejected by the unit's commander despite intelligence warnings.