• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy, but insists the U.S. is responsible for tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Tehran’s proposal to restore shipping through the strategic waterway remains conditional on lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, removing oil sanctions, and ending regional hostilities.
  • Negotiations remain stalled over sequencing, with Washington demanding nuclear concessions first while Iran seeks maritime security talks initially.

Fragile Diplomatic Opening

Iran’s top diplomat on Sunday signaled a conditional willingness to pursue diplomacy over the Strait of Hormuz, but blamed the United States for the insecurity that has disrupted the critical oil chokepoint. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, speaking after meetings in Baghdad, said regional disputes require dialogue, according to Iranian state television. His remarks came as Tehran reviews a U.S. response to its proposal to restore shipping through the strait, which before the war carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade.

Araqchi said the strait could reopen within six days after Washington accepts Iran’s conditions, with negotiations beginning on the seventh day. Reported demands include lifting the blockade on Iranian ports, removing sanctions on Iranian oil exports, and ending hostilities across regional fronts. No agreed implementation timetable has been established, according to people familiar with the matter.

Sticking Points

The central dispute is sequencing. Washington wants Iran’s nuclear program addressed from the outset, while Tehran wants initial talks to focus on maritime security and reopening Hormuz. Vice President JD Vance has demanded a “meaningful” reduction in Iran’s uranium-enrichment capacity, according to a Reuters (TRI) report. Iranian officials said talks stalled because Washington had not addressed all seven of Tehran’s conditions.

The diplomatic push comes amid continuing danger in the waterway. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said an oil tanker struck a naval mine and caught fire in the southern Strait of Hormuz on October 18—an account attributed to Iranian authorities that did not independently establish who laid the mine. The incident underscores the physical risks to shipping operators, insurers, and crews even as political negotiations continue.

Broader Regional Context

Araqchi’s Baghdad diplomacy linked the Hormuz issue to wider regional conflicts, including Yemen, a framing that could complicate efforts to reach a narrow maritime agreement. Gulf Cooperation Council states have called for freedom of navigation and an end to Iranian attacks, while insisting that any understandings with Tehran address nuclear activities, missiles, drones, and support for allied armed groups—and include Gulf states in discussions affecting their security.

The immediate backdrop is an eight-month U.S.-Iran war. Iran submitted its current proposal in mid-September after an interim ceasefire collapsed. Araqchi’s latest remarks reaffirm an existing negotiating position rather than announce a breakthrough.

What to Watch

Two indicators matter more than conciliatory language: whether Washington and Tehran agree on the order of maritime, sanctions, and nuclear negotiations, and whether vessels can actually transit safely. A diplomatic opening and continuing maritime danger can coexist. A limited arrangement could restore shipping before resolving the nuclear dispute, but its durability would depend on whether both sides accept that sequence. Conversely, insistence on resolving nuclear questions first could prolong the maritime impasse.

Clarification: An earlier version of this article misstated the date of Araqchi’s Baghdad meetings. He met Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on October 18 during an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation gathering.