By Samia Nakhoul and Parisa Hafezi
DUBAI, Sept 22 (Reuters) – A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that Tehran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz to Gulf shipping within days should the United States lift its blockade, describing a gathering at the UN as a “golden opportunity” to revive diplomacy with Washington.
US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are both slated to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, marking the first time they share the same venue since Trump initiated Operation Epic Fury against Iran in February.
The Iranian official further stated that Iran’s delegation holds full authority to relaunch negotiations, even though no direct presidential meeting is presently planned.
Direct talks between Tehran and Washington have not occurred since July, when an interim peace deal collapsed shortly after being signed by Trump and Pezeshkian.
“The United States must publicly commit to resolving the dispute via diplomacy, formalize that commitment, and then establish a clear timeline for implementation,” the official explained.[/p]
The UN General Assembly offers a premier window for the US to re‑engage in diplomacy, the official added. He noted that Iran submitted its latest proposal to Washington through mediators on September 16.[/p]
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC’s “Today” program that the United States remains open to dialogue with the Iranians at the General Assembly, especially if it promises tangible progress leading to a mutually beneficial outcome.[/p]
All Gulf neighbors champion restoring traffic through the Strait of Hormuz yet express caution regarding granting the United States’ arch‑rival excessive leverage. Apart from Oman, each partner hosts large U.S. military installations that have repeatedly faced Iranian assault during the war, straining longstanding security pacts with Washington.
Among these, Saudi Arabia bears the greatest burden, hosting multiple U.S. bases currently under intense Houthi pressure. In addition to Yemen’s ongoing crisis, Houthi militants advance along the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, employing missiles and drones to threaten Saudi interests and demand territory, most notably the Kahboub mountain range that dominates the western coast.[/p]
The area of Kahboub overlooks the western coastline and Bab el‑Mandeb, providing the Houthis with a commanding position from which to project force and remain concealed from aerial reconnaissance.[/p] Conflict intensity has caused displacement exceeding 130,000 people this month, and UN refugee agencies warned that tens of thousands more may be forced from their homes if hostilities persist.[/p]
Simultaneously, Qatar presents a security framework aimed at binding the Gulf states and Iran together on the platform of the Qatar Economic Forum.
Speaking at the forum in New York, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al‑Thani emphasized that lasting security requires ending retaliatory cycles and expanding economic interdependence with Iran, noting that “lasting security cannot be built through repeated cycles of escalation, nor by arrangements that leave any state permanently exposed to insecurity.” The proposal seeks to provide concrete safeguards while deepening trade links.
[[O/R]] placeholder removed per editorial cleansing.[/p]Houthi fighters continue pressing northward, aiming to capture strategic elevated terrain that controls major supply corridors.
Since late June, fighting has displaced more than 130,000 civilians, and the United Nations refugee agency alerted that additional thousands face similar displacements as the dispute drags on.[/p]
