World
Iran Signals Possible Hormuz Reopening Amid Military Readiness and US Skepticism
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Tehran could open the Strait of Hormuz sooner if its conditions are met, while the United States remains wary. After two days of Qatari‑mediated talks, Iranian officials said a deal is still possible if their demands are implemented, but they also warned that they are prepared for all scenarios, including pre‑emptive strikes. Araghchi said Iran has upgraded its weaponry, addressed vulnerabilities, and tested new arms, and that forces are at the highest level of readiness.
US President Donald Trump said the talks were “fine” but described Iranian authorities as “not reliable.” Trump, who ordered attacks with Israel against Iran on February 28, has repeatedly suggested that further bombing of Iran’s civilian infrastructure could occur after the November 3 midterm elections. At a Halloween party at Mar‑a‑Lago, Trump told reporters that the US still had one or two sites to “take care of” and could do so in ten minutes.
The mediated talks in Tehran on Friday and in Qatar on Saturday shortened the period after which Iran’s proposal to partly reopen Hormuz could be enforced. Tehran had previously offered seven days; Araghchi said the new period is two days.
Senior fellow Negar Mortazavi of the Center for International Policy noted that the US is interested in a negotiated settlement but insists on progress on Iran’s nuclear programme before concessions. She said the main difficulty is sequencing and leverage, with each side wanting the other to act first.
Araghchi’s offer shows some flexibility that could allow both sides to claim an initial diplomatic achievement without immediately resolving fundamental disagreements, according to Hamidreza Azizi, a senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. Azizi warned that the military statements show the limits of this opening and that Iran appears determined to prevent a repeat of previous scenarios in which negotiations or temporary ceasefires were followed by renewed conflict.
During the talks, the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he had met with top military commanders to demand “maximum deterrence” through preparedness for an immediate response without geographical restriction to any threat. Targets would include tangible and intangible US and Israeli assets.
Iranian authorities have warned that if civilian infrastructure is attacked again, seabed cables and regional infrastructure could also become targets. Commanders of the armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the traditional army expressed readiness to launch missile, drone and other attacks in case of escalation. State media on Sunday aired footage of missiles and drones being deployed from underground storage sites.
Gholamreza Jalali, commander of the National Organization for Passive Defense, said on Sunday that 14 sectors most dependent on electricity would need support if war restarts, and that officials were considering “network islanding” practices to create segments that would not all be simultaneously affected by potential bombing.
In and around the Strait of Hormuz, vessels continue to be attacked if they refuse to coordinate with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the entity set up by Iranian authorities to enforce control and sovereignty in the waterway. At least four tankers were hit on Friday and Saturday, including a vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas struck by three Iranian projectiles about 40 nautical miles south of Lavan Island.
Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s security chief, told state television that transit in the strait will not return to normal unless the US takes steps toward Iran’s conditions. Tehran wants the US to lift its naval blockade, issue waivers for oil sanctions, unfreeze Iran’s assets abroad, stop fighting on all regional fronts, and recognise a bilateral Iran‑Oman arrangement for Hormuz. Rezaei said he had not yet responded to a letter from US Vice President JD Vance, which he described as a “change in tone” that was “positive”.
Mostafa Najafi, a Tehran‑based political analyst linked with Rezaei, said if the conditions are not met, the letter is likely to go unanswered and negotiations, including on Iran’s nuclear programme, will not advance. He wrote on X that it is unclear how willing Washington is to accept Iran’s demands and that not recognising Iran’s rights will lead to failure.
The US has doubled down on the effectiveness of its Operation Economic Outcast, involving the blockade, sanctions and pressure on overland trade and aviation. A US Treasury report, publicised by Axios, said no new oil had been loaded onto tankers at Iran’s terminals since August 25, overseas crude deliveries were down, Iran’s year‑on‑year inflation neared 90 percent in September, and the national currency continued to dwindle. The report said Iran’s economy was “crippled” by the combined measures but did not argue that it was close to collapsing.