US -Iran War: Iran has reportedly offered to open the Starit of Hormuz within the next seven days, albeit with a rider. In a diplomatic push, Tehran has conveyed to Washington DC that they would open the crucial merchant route, if US begins easing military pressure, according to Kyodo News report. The report cited a senior Iranian official and noted that the offer had been approved by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Meanwhile, , has chanted that diplomacy should turn military strength into political gains, as he said Iran would resist military, economic and media pressure from its enemies. “Diplomacy is not surrender. It is about turning strength on the battlefield into political gains,” Ghalibaf said at a ceremony in Tehran.
Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the UnitedS States begins easing military pressure.
The proposal was conveyed to Washington through mediators and calls for renewed negotiations toward a permanent end to hostilities.
Tehran plans to consult intermediary countries during the UN General Assembly, although the official ruled out a meeting between Presidents Masoud Pezeshkian and Donald Trump.
The senior Iranian official said the initiative has reportedly been approved by Supreme Leader and the Supreme National Security Council. Iran is seeking an end to the blockade of its ports and US military operations related to the strait, the official stated.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, sounding bullish on Iran’s stance int he war, said negotiations were also a form of confrontation and that Tehran would not bow to pressure from US President Donald Trump.
“Trump is facing a historic civilization and a national and religious resistance,” he said, adding that the US president could not impose his power on Iran or its armed forces.
Gulf trade has long centred on major ports such as Jebel Ali, Khalifa, Dammam, Hamad and Salalah. But is prompting a rethink, with Oman’s Sohar Port emerging as a key alternative gateway, particularly for India.
hormuz
Located on the Gulf of Oman and outside the narrowest part of the Hormuz chokepoint, Sohar offers shippers another route for moving cargo by sea and road into the Gulf.
A planned rail link to the UAE could further strengthen its role. The port is drawing interest from Indian logistics firms, manufacturers and exporters, while Saudi Arabia is also using ship-to-ship transfers off Oman’s coast to keep crude flowing to Asian buyers.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea.
Its importance comes from the sheer volume of energy that passes through this narrow waterway: about 20.9 million barrels of oil per day moved through Hormuz in the first half of 2025, equivalent to roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption, while more than one-fifth of global LNG trade also transited the strait.
There are alternative pipelines through Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but they can replace only part of the seaborne flows.
This makes any sustained disruption at Hormuz a global supply problem, with the potential to raise crude prices, freight costs and, eventually, inflation. Asian economies, including India, China, Japan and South Korea, are particularly exposed because the majority of oil and LNG moving through Hormuz is destined for Asian markets.
The Iran war has turned that structural vulnerability into an immediate market risk. Since the conflict began on 28 February 2026, shipping through Hormuz has been sharply disrupted.
Reuters reported on 22 September that only two vessels passed through the strait on Monday, compared with around 125 large commercial vessels a day before the conflict.
