Iran has offered to open the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its blockade on the country’s ports and an end to the war. In a fresh offer to Trump Administration, Tehran has proposed that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear program would come in a later phase.

 

The latest effort came during Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s talks in St Petersburg with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Araghchi said before the meeting that the United States has failed to achieve its war objectives and is now seeking negotiations from a weakened position. Putin described the Iran-Russia relationship as a strategic partnership and said Moscow would work to restore stability in West Asia. 

 

Iran is widening its diplomatic efforts as it offers a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tying it to nuclear talks. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg, with both sides calling their partnership strategic. Araghchi said the United States has failed to meet its war objectives and is now seeking negotiations. The International Maritime Organisation says nearly 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged all sides to reopen the strait immediately to protect global trade. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has delivered one of Europe’s strongest criticisms of Washington’s approach, saying the United States entered the conflict without a clear exit plan and is now paying the price.

 

Germany has offered minesweepers once hostilities end. The strait, a vital artery for global energy supplies, has been disrupted since the US-Israel offensive began in late February.