Iran shortens strait reopening plan to two days
Tehran cut its timeline for restoring naval transit and resuming nuclear talks from a week to two days, contingent on Washington meeting specific demands.
By Alessia Romano ·
Iran announced on Monday that it had condensed its plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear negotiations with the United States from a seven-day process to a two-day timeline. The shortened schedule is conditional on Washington fulfilling seven specific demands, the most prominent of which is lifting the blockade of Iranian ports.
Under the new framework, vessels passing through the strait would follow a route agreed upon by Iran and Oman while traveling under Iranian supervision. Iranian officials stated that the U.S. must also remove sanctions on Iranian oil exports and agree to a ceasefire that includes Lebanon.
Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described the accelerated timeline as evidence of Tehran's good faith. He said the plan remains the foundation for talks conducted through mediators, though he did not confirm that either side had altered its core demands or accepted the other's proposal.
The announcement follows comments from Iran's top diplomat on Sunday, who expressed hope that the U.S. would choose diplomacy over other paths. President Donald Trump has publicly oscillated between seeking a deal and threatening heavy aerial bombardment.
In southwestern Yemen, the Houthi-run health ministry reported that explosives hit a market in Taiz province. The ministry said two children and one other person died in the blast, with eight others injured. Spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi blamed Saudi Arabia for the attack, a claim the Associated Press has not independently verified.
The U.N. migration agency reported that more than 300,000 Yemenis have fled the renewed fighting between the Iran-backed rebels and Saudi-backed government forces. This conflict has broken a four-year truce. Displaced families are moving south to Aden, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM mission in Yemen, stated that families are fleeing with little more than the clothes on their backs. Aid groups face limited access to those in need as the humanitarian situation deteriorates.
China said it will send a special envoy to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the mission aims to ease tensions and promote regional stability. President Xi Jinping told Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said on Monday that the Gulf should not become an arena for great-power rivalry.
The Israeli military concluded a sweeping operation in Hebron, West Bank, that began last month after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. The operation displaced hundreds of Palestinians. Soldiers demolished the gunmen's residences and confiscated weapons and illegal vehicles.
Residents began returning to Deir Bahha, the suspected gunmen's neighborhood, as some Israeli forces withdrew. Explosives experts checked for unexploded devices. Wael Shawar, a resident, said she was shocked to find her door broken and glass shattered upon returning. Tamara Obei, another resident, said she feared bringing her children home due to the psychological exhaustion they have endured.
Two men were killed in southern Gaza in early Monday airstrikes, according to Nasser Hospital. One man was killed in his home and the other in a tent. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. Since the October 2025 ceasefire, about 1,580 Palestinians have been killed, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza to more than 74,500, according to the Health Ministry.
