Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) looks on during the 81st session of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City on Sept. 23, 2026. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
Tehran proposed a seven-day plan to U.S. mediators this week that would restart nuclear talks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz under certain conditions, according to Iran’s foreign minister.
Tehran’s proposal was announced on Sept. 24 by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi two days after President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States and Iran had held talks on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
“If certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz will be open at the end of seven days, and talks will be restarted,” Araghchi told reporters on Thursday.
“The conditions we have asked the U.S. to meet are nothing new, nothing more than what was already in the Islamabad MOU, which was signed by the U.S. president.”
The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June that outlined a plan to end the conflict, which started on Feb. 28. However, the agreement collapsed after Iran attacked multiple commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Trump ordered the U.S. military to reinstate its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had a “very good meeting” with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Witkoff later confirmed that the talks were conducted through mediators and expressed hope that they would “prove constructive and promising.”
“We are having positive and constructive discussions through the mediators,” a U.S. official told The Epoch Times on Sept. 25. “The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz, so we are not in a rush. Over the last 48 hours, nearly 40 million barrels of oil have transited the Strait.”
As of Sept. 25, U.S. forces had redirected 122 commercial vessels to ensure compliance with the blockade, according to U.S. Central Command.
Under the June 17 memorandum of understanding, the United States and Iran agreed to end the military conflict and negotiate a final peace deal. The United States agreed to end its naval blockade, while Iran agreed to ensure the safe passage of vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
The memorandum of understanding also reaffirmed that Iran would not develop or procure a nuclear weapon. In addition, the United States agreed to end sanctions targeting the regime.
In addition to the comments made by Aragchi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told reporters on Thursday that the regime wants to negotiate a deal with the United States prior to the upcoming midterm elections in November.
“We don’t want it to get to the midterm elections,” Pezeshkian said. “We wish Americans to return to the [memorandum of understanding] before the midterms.”
In a Thursday interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Pezeshkian said Iran did not “wish to continue” the war. He said it was “America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not.”
The Iranian president’s comments came after Trump told the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22 that he believed a deal would be made shortly after the midterms. He suggested that the Iranian regime was waiting to see the outcome of the election before reaching a deal with his administration.
“I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn’t even enter my mind,” Trump said. “The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
The president also told the United Nations that he had a major decision to make with regard to the conflict in Iran. He suggested that he could either make a deal with Tehran that would allow the country to rebuild, or he could “annihilate the Islamic Republic” and ensure it had “no chance of survival.”
