Iran cuts Strait of Hormuz reopening plan to two days
Tehran shortens its timeline for resuming US nuclear talks, while China deploys a special envoy to the Gulf and Yemeni displacement surpasses 300,000.
By Alexei Brooks ·
Iran announced on Monday that it has a new two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear negotiations with the United States. This timeline is shorter than the previous seven-day schedule Tehran outlined earlier this month. The new plan requires Washington to meet specific demands before implementation can begin.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that the plan remains the foundation for talks mediated by third parties. He said the shorter timeline demonstrates Iran's good-faith approach to diplomacy. Baghaei did not confirm that the United States had accepted the proposal or that Tehran changed its list of demands.
Under the new conditions, ships passing through the strait would follow a route agreed upon by Iran and Oman. The vessels would also travel under Iranian supervision. Iranian officials previously listed seven conditions for a full reopening. These include lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports and removing sanctions on oil sales. A ceasefire covering Lebanon is also part of the demand list.
President Donald Trump has publicly alternated between pursuing diplomatic solutions and threatening heavy bombing of Iran. The Iranian foreign minister said Sunday that he hopes the US chooses diplomacy over other paths. The region is currently bracing for the possibility of renewed fighting.
China said Monday it will send a special envoy to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters the envoy will focus on easing tensions and promoting regional stability. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said on Monday. Xi told the Sultan that the Gulf region should not become an arena for great-power rivalry.
In Yemen, the United Nations migration agency reported that more than 300,000 people have fled renewed fighting. The conflict between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed government forces broke a four-year truce. Taiz province continues to receive displaced families, but many are moving south to Aden. Aden has now taken in more than 56,000 displaced people according to the International Organization for Migration.
Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM mission in Yemen, said families are often forced to flee with little more than the clothes on their backs. He noted that they urgently need shelter, food, clean water, and health care. Esoev warned that without more funding, thousands of families could be left without essential help.
In Gaza, two Israeli airstrikes killed two men in the southern region early Monday. Nasser Hospital received the bodies of the victims. One strike hit a man in his home, and the other struck a man in a tent. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Since the October 2025 ceasefire began, about 1,580 Palestinians have been killed. The overall death toll in Gaza is now more than 74,500, according to the local Health Ministry.
