Iran has proposed a new deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following a tense war of words between President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart in their respective UN General Assembly speeches this week.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the proposal in what was described as a “private gathering” on Thursday during the UN General Assembly, according to the Associated Press.
The deal would include a reopening of the strait and the resumption of nuke talks in seven days if the U.S. ends the naval blockade in the strategic waterway, ditches sanctions, and agrees to a ceasefire.
Trita Parsi, the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute think tank who was at the meeting, told the AP that the deal could give Trump a much-needed boost as the ongoing war drives up the price of gas and other goods.
“If Trump calculates this arrangement is worthwhile and can bring political benefit before the midterms and reduce gas prices, perhaps we’ll see flexibility not seen in previous weeks.”
As the AP noted, the terms of the deal may seem familiar to negotiators:
The proposal strongly resembles the so-called Memorandum of Understanding reached in June, but with an accelerated timetable. The earlier agreement, which had called for a 60-day interim period, quickly collapsed as Iran resumed attacks on shipping in the strait.
During his speech to the General Assembly on Wednesday, Trump toyed with the idea of “annihilating” the Islamic regime.
“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before — maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East, or even the world? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell, with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness for generations?” Trump said.
The following day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned Trump that Tehran would not bow to “bullying,” saying that the regime’s “resistance” would only grow.
The ongoing and largely unpopular conflict, which began with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, is about to enter its eighth month.
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