Strait of Hormuz to reopen within 30 days under US-Iran peace framework: Report
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that a draft understanding now under discussion would see shipping through the strait return to pre-war levels within 30 days, with the naval blockade fully lifted during that period. A portion of Iran's frozen overseas funds would also be released in the first phase of the agreement.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsNearly three months after conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran threw global energy markets into turmoil, Washington and Tehran are now closer to an agreement than at any point since the fighting began, with both President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio signalling that a deal may be imminent.
At the heart of the proposed framework is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a significant portion of the world's oil passes daily. Before the conflict erupted in February, between 125 and 140 ships crossed the strait each day. Since then, Iran tightened its grip on the waterway while the US imposed a blockade on shipping linked to Iranian ports, sending Brent crude prices up by more than 40 per cent and pushing fuel and food costs higher across much of the world.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that a draft understanding now under discussion would see shipping through the strait return to pre-war levels within 30 days, with the naval blockade fully lifted during that period. A portion of Iran's frozen overseas funds would also be released in the first phase of the agreement.
"Significant progress" - but no deal yet
Rubio, speaking alongside India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi during his current visit to India, acknowledged that talks had moved meaningfully forward while stopping short of declaring a breakthrough.
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"Suffice it to say that some progress has been made, significant progress, although not final progress has been made," he said.
Trump was characteristically blunt on Truth Social. "Washington and Tehran have largely negotiated the framework of a peace arrangement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz," he wrote, adding: "Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly."
The agreement is reportedly being brokered with Pakistan's assistance and could include the lifting of restrictions on Iranian shipping, sanctions relief on oil exports and security guarantees for the wider region.
Nuclear question refuses to go away
Despite the broadly positive tone surrounding the talks, the nuclear issue remains the most stubborn obstacle. Tasnim reported that Tehran has not accepted any commitments related to curbing its nuclear activities, and that the draft framework sets aside a separate 60-day window for future negotiations on that question, distinct from the 30-day maritime timeline.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to strike a reassuring note without ceding ground. "We are ready to reassure the world that we are not seeking nuclear weapons," he said, while making clear that his negotiating team would hold firm on questions of national sovereignty. "Our negotiating team will not compromise when it comes to our country's honour and dignity," he added.
Iran has long maintained that its uranium enrichment programme serves civilian purposes only. Western powers remain unconvinced, pointing out that Tehran has enriched uranium well beyond levels typically required for energy production. One clause reportedly under discussion would require Iran to formally commit never to pursue nuclear weapons, in exchange for guarantees that the US and its allies would not launch attacks on Iran or its regional partners.
Any deal that reopens the strait will be watched extremely closely by energy markets. The disruption has already fed through into higher living costs in countries far removed from the conflict, and a resolution, if it holds, would offer some relief to an unsettled global economy.\
(With inputs from agencies)