Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran

Tehran, Nov 2: Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened within two days if the United States meets Iran's "legitimate" demands.

Addressing a weekly press conference in Tehran, Baghaei said the basis for any indirect engagement between Iran and the United States through mediators remained a seven-day plan proposed by Tehran in September. He added that Iran had reduced the time required to implement the plan to two days as a gesture of goodwill.

"We have announced that if Iran's demands are met, the possibility will exist to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and start the negotiation process in a short period of time," he said, stressing that the next step depended on the US decision on how to proceed with the process, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Baghaei said Iran had presented its demands "clearly, reasonably, and logically". He maintained that no agreement would be reached, and the Strait of Hormuz would neither be reopened nor secured, unless the United States ended its anti-Iran naval blockade and addressed Tehran's "legitimate" demands.

Iran conveyed the seven-day plan, outlining its conditions for ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, to the United States through mediators on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22. Tehran and Washington have reportedly continued exchanging messages on the proposal since then.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran retaliated with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets across the region, while tightening its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world's most important energy corridors, carrying oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from major Gulf producers to international markets.