Iran Sets Conditions for Reopening Strait of Hormuz as US Reports Progress in Talks
On November 10, Iran said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if the US met its conditions, including ending the conflict, unfreezing assets and lifting oil sanctions. President Donald Trump reported progress in talks. Iran also reported that two tankers had caught fire near the strait, while Canada reinstated sanctions on 11 Iranian companies.
On November 10, Iran called on the United States to meet its conditions and said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if they were met. The strait is an important energy transport route. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the eight-month conflict between the two countries needed to be resolved through diplomatic dialogue, as military action or tougher sanctions could not resolve it.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for resolving the conflict through diplomatic dialogue.（VietVance）
Iran's conditions include ending the conflict on all fronts, releasing frozen assets, lifting oil sanctions and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports. Abbas Araghchi said the conditions were included in Iran's “two-day proposal” and remained in effect.
After meeting Qatar's prime minister at the White House on November 9, US President Donald Trump said talks had made positive progress. He said the US remained combat-ready, but the likelihood of further attacks on Iran was “quite low.” A Qatari foreign ministry official also said the talks had progressed and mediators were working to narrow differences among the parties; Qatar and Pakistan were pursuing a diplomatic solution to end the conflict.
The situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains unstable. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on November 10 that two oil tankers had caught fire after explosions in the area. It said one large tanker struck a mine, while the other had an accident while traveling along a route Iran considered unauthorized. The force did not disclose the names or nationalities of the two vessels.
The same day, Canada announced it was reinstating sanctions on 11 Iranian energy and banking companies, including the National Iranian Oil Company and the banks Mellat and Melli. The companies had been removed from Canada's sanctions list in 2016. Canada's foreign ministry said the move was intended to restrict financial networks it believes support Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and other destabilizing activities.
Source: VietVance
