Iran says it awaits US response on seven-day roadmap to end war

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkIran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi walks from the podium after speaking to the media during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters on September 25, 2026 [Yuki Iwamura/AP]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and APPublished On 25 Sep 202625 Sep 2026Iran has formally submitted a seven-day roadmap to end its war with the United States and is now awaiting Washington’s response, according to Tehran’s top diplomat.Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the plan to reporters outside the United Nations Security Council on Friday, saying it had been conveyed to Washington through Qatar.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iraqi airports halt Iranian flights after new US aviation sanctionslist 2 of 3UAE bars Iranian airlines as US sanctions squeeze Iran’s aviation sectorlist 3 of 3What’s in Iran’s seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz?end of list“The seven-day timeline will start as soon as the United States accepts this plan,” he said.Araghchi noted that initial steps would take four to five days, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on the sixth day and “on day seven, the talks with the US will be started for the final deal on mutually agreed subjects”, referring to Iran’s nuclear programme.The offer and its conditionsUnder the plan, Washington would lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales, release an estimated $12bn in frozen Iranian assets and observe a ceasefire covering the region, including Lebanon and Yemen.In return, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passed before the war, and which has become Tehran’s main point of leverage.“The choice now rests with the United States,” Araghchi said.“Iran does not accept coercion, threats or intimidation, and Iran will not surrender its sovereign rights under pressure. I can tell you if there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared.”Ending all hostilities in the Middle East, including in Yemen and Lebanon, was reportedly among Tehran’s demands.Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, September 23, 2026 [Stringer/Reuters]A plan that echoes a collapsed dealThe proposal, which aims to end the war that has entered its seventh month, closely mirrors a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington on June 17, after Qatari and Pakistani mediation, which set a 60-day window for talks but collapsed within weeks.Technical and vague terms over control of shipping through Hormuz led to disputes, as Iran began firing on vessels it accused of ignoring its authorisation rules, prompting US President Donald Trump to declare the deal “over” in July.The US has since sporadically struck Iranian territory and coastal areas in response.Araghchi met for talks on Tuesday with Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Witkoff said the meeting was “lengthy” and that he hoped the talks would “prove constructive and promising.”Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Fox News this week that ending the war was now up to Washington. “It’s America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not,” he said.A White House official told CNN the Trump administration was having “positive and constructive discussions through the mediators”. Analysts, however, remain sceptical.“Basically nothing has really changed,” said Cyrus Schayegh of the Geneva Graduate Institute, arguing Iran wants to keep the leverage it gained during the war, while Washington resists returning to the June framework.It appears unlikely that the new deal will make major progress before the US midterm elections in November, though Araghchi said Friday it “would be better” to reach one beforehand.Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict, said its foreign minister spoke with Pezeshkian on Friday about de-escalation and the conditions for renewed dialogue.