U.S.-Iran Talks Revive June Plan for Ending Hormuz Standoff

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict

The U.S. and Iran are back to negotiating over the same basic bargain that briefly ended the war in June: reopen Hormuz, ease the U.S. blockade, and use a temporary ceasefire to negotiate everything they can’t settle now. The latest discussions in New York are focused on a phased arrangement under which Tehran would restore commercial shipping through Hormuz while Washington begins lifting restrictions on Iranian trade, with access to frozen Iranian assets also under discussion (at the same time, Washington slapped new sanctions blocking Iranian flights). Iran has proposed a regionwide ceasefire of up to 60 days and a timetable for negotiations on the remaining disputes, while Qatar, Pakistan and increasingly Egypt are mediating. Tehran has also shown some room on the tolls it has imposed on shipping, with Reuters reporting that it could move the issue into a separate annex rather than make U.S. acceptance of the charges a condition of the main agreement. It has not backed away from claiming administrative control over the strait. Trump has ruled out lifting the blockade before Iran demonstrates what Washington considers sufficient goodwill, while Tehran says Hormuz will not reopen until U.S. military pressure is reduced and the blockade is lifted. Gulf states are also pushing for their own negotiations with Tehran rather than leaving Hormuz and regional security to another bilateral U.S. Iranian deal. Eighty countries issued a statement…