Iran has proposed a seven-day roadmap to end its conflict with the United States, including a halt to hostilities, the release of frozen Iranian assets and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi outlined the plan to reporters in New York, saying Tehran had sent it to Washington through mediators earlier this week. The proposal seeks to revive the conditions of a memorandum agreed by the two countries in June.
Under the plan, hostilities on all fronts, including Gaza and Lebanon, would end within seven days, according to reports. The United States would also lift its naval blockade, waive sanctions on Iranian oil and release at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
The Strait of Hormuz would reopen on the final day of the proposed timetable, while talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would begin immediately.
The restrictions on shipping through the strategically important waterway have become a central issue in the conflict because of their effect on oil and gas exports and the global economy.
Iran’s seven-day roadmap echoes failed June agreement
The proposal closely resembles the memorandum brokered by Pakistan and Qatar on June 17. That agreement allowed 60 days for negotiations but unravelled within weeks, after the two sides accused each other of violations.
Disputes over control of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz were followed by further attacks. US President Donald Trump declared the agreement “over” on July 7.
The memorandum expired in August, with little sign that Washington and Tehran were prepared to revive it. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier this month that Tehran would “immediately reciprocate” if the US returned to its commitments.
“We have introduced a plan to the United States through the intermediators,” Mr Araghchi told reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
An unnamed White House official said the administration was engaged in “positive and constructive discussions through the mediators”. However, The New York Times reported that another US official had said Washington would not rush into an agreement.
An Iranian security source said there could be scope for further diplomatic engagement if the US met Iran’s conditions and commitments.
Analysts have questioned whether the proposal signals meaningful progress. Cyrus Schayegh, professor of international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute, said: “Basically nothing has really changed.”
He said Iran continued to insist on retaining the additional power it had gained during the war and regarded the June memorandum as the basis for a future roadmap, while the US continued to reject that approach.
Mr Schayegh said significant movement towards ending the conflict was unlikely before the US mid-term elections in November. Mr Araghchi said it “would be better” to reach an agreement before the vote, while Mr Pezeshkian said any deal with Washington would not be linked to the timing of the elections.
