Iran announces two-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz and restart US talks

Shippers and negotiators in the Middle East face a compressed timeline as Iran declared Monday that it can reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the United States within two days. The announcement shortens a process Tehran previously estimated would take one week. The move requires Washington to satisfy specific demands, including the lifting of a blockade on Iranian ports and the easing of sanctions on oil sales.

Iran’s shift in timing follows a period of uncertainty regarding the status of maritime traffic. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that the shorter timeline does not alter the core of the negotiations. He described the proposal as a demonstration of Iran’s good-faith approach. Baghaei noted that ships passing through the strait must follow a route agreed upon by Iran and Oman and travel under Iranian supervision. He gave no indication that Tehran had modified its demands or that the US had accepted the proposal.

The diplomatic push coincides with mixed signals from the United States. President Donald Trump has publicly alternated between pursuing diplomacy and threatening heavy bombing of Iran. Iran’s top diplomat expressed hope on Sunday that the US would choose diplomacy over other paths. The region remains on alert for possible renewed fighting as these talks continue through mediators.

Simultaneously, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has deepened. The U.N. migration agency reported that more than 300,000 people have fled renewed fighting. The conflict between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed government forces has broken a four-year truce. Aid groups report limited access to those in need. Displaced families are moving from Taiz province in the southwest toward Aden, which has received more than 56,000 people according to the International Organization for Migration.

Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM mission in Yemen, said families are fleeing with little more than the clothes on their backs. He stated that they urgently need shelter, food, clean water, and health care. Esoev warned that without more funding, thousands of families could be left without essential help. The situation exacerbates an already dire humanitarian condition in one of the Middle East’s poorest countries.

China is moving to engage in the regional crisis. The country announced Monday that it will send a special envoy to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the envoy would focus on easing tensions and promoting regional stability. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said on Monday that the Gulf region should not become an arena for great-power rivalry and geopolitical conflict. China relies on the region for a large share of its oil imports.

In southern Gaza, two men were killed in Israeli airstrikes early Monday. Nasser Hospital reported that one strike killed a man in his home while the other killed a man in a tent. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Major fighting between Israel and Hamas largely halted under the October 2025 ceasefire, but near-daily strikes continue. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that about 1,580 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, bringing the overall death toll to more than 74,500.

The health ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its counts. Israel says its strikes target militants and claims Hamas uses civilians as human shields. The agency reported that women and children are regularly killed or injured in these operations.