Global Trade at Risk as Iran Links Hormuz Reopening to End of US Pressure

Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz in return for the United States lifting restrictions on Iranian ports and ending the ongoing conflict, according to fresh diplomatic efforts by Tehran. Iranian officials also suggested that broader negotiations over the country’s nuclear programme could be taken up in a later phase.

The proposal was discussed during Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s meeting in St Petersburg with Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov. Araghchi said Washington had failed to achieve its war objectives and was now seeking negotiations from a weaker position. Putin described ties between Russia and Iran as a strategic partnership and said Moscow would work to restore stability in West Asia.

The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil and gas shipments, has faced disruption since the US-Israel offensive began in late February. International Maritime Organization said nearly 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf, while António Guterres urged all sides to reopen the waterway immediately to protect global trade.

Meanwhile, Germany has offered minesweepers once hostilities end. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sharply criticised Washington’s handling of the conflict, saying the United States entered the war without a clear exit plan and is now facing the consequences.