Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Could Reopen in Two Days Under New Qatari-Brokered Plan

Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened within two days under a revised plan developed with Qatari mediators, provided the United States agrees to a set of conditions laid out by Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that the talks have shortened the time needed to carry out Iran's proposal, saying the Qatari side suggested cutting the implementation period from five days and that the two sides had now arrived at a two-day timeline.

The shorter timeline is not final. Araghchi made clear that the strait would reopen only in line with Iran's demands, and that reopening under those conditions would pave the way for the resumption of negotiations with Washington on outstanding issues. One of the conditions means that even after a reopening, vessels would be limited to routes agreed between Iran and Oman rather than being able to use the strait as a whole.

The proposal comes as both sides appear to be softening their tone. Araghchi described a US offer of dialogue as a positive step, and an Iranian delegation is in Doha for further talks with Qatari officials. Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said he had reviewed a letter from US Vice President JD Vance in which Washington's tone had changed completely, calling the shift a very positive sign. There has been no public response from the US to the two-day plan so far.

Iran had earlier put forward a longer, seven-day plan to reopen the strait in exchange for its demands. Hopes of a reopening have been raised before: in August, Iran rejected claims that it was reopening Hormuz following an announcement by US President Donald Trump.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important oil routes, and its closure has kept global oil and gas prices elevated for months. Pakistan imports most of its oil and LNG through the Gulf, so any disruption there quickly feeds through to fuel prices at home. Petrol currently costs Rs 377.91 per litre and high-speed diesel Rs 402.96 per litre under the latest government notification. A motorist using 40 litres of petrol a month spends roughly Rs 15,116 on fuel, with every Rs 10 per litre change adding or cutting about Rs 400 from that monthly bill.

Because the government now revises fuel prices far more frequently, a confirmed reopening of Hormuz and a resulting fall in global oil prices could reach Pakistani pumps faster than in the past, offering potential relief to consumers and businesses squeezed by high energy costs.