[UPDATE] Iran offers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade as traffic falls to two ships
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said no UN meeting is scheduled, while Pakistani mediators opened shuttle talks in Tehran.
The terms. Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — the shipping channel that carries most Gulf oil exports — within seven days if the U.S. eases military pressure and lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Traffic through the waterway fell to two visible cargo vessels on Tuesday, Sept. 22, a day after an unknown projectile struck an oil tanker and injured at least two crew members, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations office. The diplomacy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that no meeting is scheduled with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (President, Iran) at the UN General Assembly, though the administration is open to one. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi (Interior Minister, Pakistan) met Iranian officials in Tehran to negotiate a framework. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it is ready for a counteroffensive with 'new weapons' if the U.S. strikes again. Where it stands. Trump said talks could resume in Pakistan by Thursday, Sept. 24. Iran's seven-day reopening offer, so far unanswered, lapses Sept. 29.
PREVIOUSLY
- Sept. 1 — U.S. airstrikes destroyed Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, ending a month-long operational pause.
- Sept. 3 — American forces struck roughly 100 coastal military targets after Iran fired ballistic missiles at bases across four countries.
- Sept. 6 — The Navy disabled three Iranian oil tankers after Iranian forces targeted a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer.
- Sept. 10 — Jordan intercepted 18 of 20 Iranian ballistic missiles fired at a U.S. base following additional American strikes on five tankers.
- Sept. 14 — A projectile struck a commercial container ship off Hengam Island, killing one crew member and injuring four.
- Sept. 20 — Drone strikes shut Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, shifting global fuel pressure from crude supplies to refined product and tanker shortages.
What the blockade and strikes have shut down since February:
- Central Command turned away 109 commercial ships trying to enter or leave Iranian ports through Sept. 20.
- The International Maritime Organization counted 70 commercial vessels attacked and 19 seafarers killed through late August.
- QatarEnergy has kept 12.8 million tonnes of annual gas capacity offline since March airstrikes damaged two processing trains.