Iran offers conditional Hormuz reopening as Trump warns of ‘crushing blow’
US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to resume military strikes against Iran with a “crushing blow,” even as Tehran offered to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz within two days should Washington lift its naval blockade and end economic sanctions.
The expedited two-day window represents an active revision of Iran’s comprehensive seven-step peace initiative first tabled in September, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei announced during a weekly press briefing on Monday.
Baqaei stated that Tehran shortened its timeline to reopen the strategic maritime corridor from seven days down to two, though he stressed that implementation remains strictly contingent upon Washington agreeing to Iranian terms.
Under the overarching September proposal outlined by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a final settlement requires a permanent cessation of the war across all fronts, the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, the unfreezing of assets held abroad, the removal of oil sector sanctions, and the resumption of nuclear talks.
The accelerated offer follows several days of mediation in Doha aimed at ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi traveled to Qatar to facilitate indirect exchanges, and negotiators circulated a draft agreement before departing on Sunday. According to an informed official cited by Reuters, the departure did not signal an impasse, and an additional meeting remains possible.
Araghchi confirmed that while negotiations with Qatari officials made measurable progress, they have yet to produce a conclusive deal, as Washington has withheld approval and Trump earlier termed the initial plan unacceptable.
“The ball is now in Washington’s court,” Araghchi further declared, accusing the US of actively undermining diplomacy and asserting that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen without a full end to the US naval siege.
Parallel to the indirect talks, significant friction has surfaced within the US-Israeli axis regarding the timeline for renewed military confrontation. Trump stated he held a “very good” phone call on Saturday with Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu covering the Iranian file. However, reporting by US news outlet Axios, citing an American official and an Israeli official, revealed sharp behind-the-scenes tension.
Netanyahu pressed Trump to carry out immediate military strikes against Tehran as soon as Tuesday’s US midterm elections conclude, while Trump pushed back to grant mediation more time. The Israeli official characterized the exchange as “difficult,” while the American official described it as “blunt.”
The diplomatic opening faces mounting threats from Washington alongside direct domestic political pressures. Speaking at a campaign rally in Iowa on Monday, Trump asserted that the US had not concluded operations against Iran, claiming he was acting generously to save lives before warning: “At some point, we are going to have to hit them with a crushing blow.”
Trump stated that no new assaults would occur prior to Tuesday’s congressional vote, but explicitly left open the door to immediate action afterward, even while characterizing the ongoing exchanges as productive.
In response to Washington’s threats and the looming post-election window, the Iranian armed forces announced immediate measures to heighten operational readiness following a directive from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei instructing all branches to prepare a response to any aggression.
Iranian military spokesman Mohammad Akrami-Nia warned that any new escalation would last substantially longer than the previous round of warfare, cautioning that Trump would have no power to set the conditions or the conclusion of a wider confrontation.
Addressing whether the upcoming ballot could alter Washington's hostile posture, Baqaei noted that Tehran harbors no illusions of witnessing “the birth of a new America” regardless of the electoral outcome.